


Director's Cut

by straighthairdelphine



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: AU, Actresses - Freeform, BASICALLY EVERYONE IS IN THIS FIC, F/F, Family, Romance, cophine - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-08 22:58:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 25,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11656437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/straighthairdelphine/pseuds/straighthairdelphine
Summary: AU. Delphine and Cosima are actresses starring in a movie about two scientists on the run after discovering plans for an illegal clone experiment. Their characters fall in love - but will their relationship stay on the screen, or will their friendship off-camera turn into something more? (Originally posted on fanfiction.net)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This story is pretty old so I'm giving it a bit of a make-over and moving it here from my fanfiction.net account (also straighthairdelphine). Nothing major, mostly just formatting changes. Thanks for reading!

_0 weeks, 0 days._

Delphine Cormier looked out of the airplane window at vast sheets of soft white cloud, topped with clear sky of a beautiful blue. _Three hours to go_. She had been to Los Angeles four times before, but the flight from Paris never got any easier. She yawned tiredly as she shrunk back into the seat, taking a sip of lukewarm coffee before screwing up the paper cup and tossing it into the trash bag on the flight attendant’s cart. The woman stared at Delphine in excitement before carrying on along the aisle.

People always stared at Delphine Cormier. Maybe it was because she was beautiful; everyone who looked at Delphine was drawn to her, with her soft golden curls that fell just below her shoulders, her tall, slender figure or her radiant smile. But it was almost definitely because she was one of the most famous actresses in France, and was fast becoming a household name in the USA too.

Her fellow first class passengers seemed eager to talk to Delphine, or ask her for photos and autographs. She humbly agreed, making an effort to be polite. She appreciated her fans, of course, but sometimes the whole affair became exhausting. Especially when eager Americans gushed in rapid English conversation, leaving Delphine struggling to translate with the pace of their words. She was never rude, she never ignored those who asked her questions, but sometimes she just wished to be left alone.

Delphine was grateful for the silence now; it was early, five in the morning, and most passengers were asleep. But she had already slept, though only for a couple hours, and now she couldn't fall asleep again. She stretched out her arms and ran a brush through her wild hair, then reached for her bag, remembering the magazine that her manager, Jennifer Fitzsimmons, had left for her. Delphine didn't intend to read it, but now she was bored and she couldn't resist taking a look.

Jennifer had left a post-it note to bookmark the page. On it she had written 'Have fun in LA! See you soon xx'. Delphine rolled her eyes. Jennifer lived for every piece of publicity Delphine could get; she was constantly trawling through the Internet and trashy gossip magazines for any glimpse of her.

In this particular magazine was a small photograph of Delphine in an olive green jumpsuit and an old Levi’s denim jacket, smiling and clutching her little Chanel purse, the one she took everywhere with her, the one she had bought with her earnings from old modelling jobs. Delphine remembered that photograph; it was taken in Boston on the set of her last movie, with her boyfriend Paul behind the camera. She smiled at the memory. She had been so happy back then. It was only a year ago, yet since that picture was taken, she was getting recognised more often, paparazzi followed her everywhere and her relationship with Paul had become strained.

'Delphine on the Scene!' was the headline of the short article, and it read: 'The stunning French actress Delphine Cormier returns to the USA this year for her fifth English language film - and it’s going to be a great one! 'Project Leda' tells the story of Carey and Amélie, two scientists, one American, one French. Their relationship develops from friendship into romance as they go on the run from a renowned science institution after uncovering the secrets of a planned illegal clone experiment. And Delphine's on-screen lover? It's only Cosima Niehaus, the arthouse talent turned big screen star who captivated us in last year's blockbuster hit, 'The Proletheans'. We cannot wait until this movie hits the screens!'

Delphine looked again at the photograph of herself, examining every detail, and closed the magazine in frustration. With her new fame, Delphine saw images of herself everywhere she turned, but with every new picture, she recognised herself less and less.

 

* * *

 

Sunlight streamed through Cosima Niehaus' blinds, though she hadn't slept in hours. She rolled out of bed, put on her black-framed glasses and crossed the room to the window. More sunlight crept into the room as she rolled up the blinds and reached up to open the window. She leaned out into the cool morning, a welcome relief from her stuffy bedroom. The sun was hot already and the sky was a clear, crisp blue.

Cosima loved waking up this early, though she was rarely able to. She could smell the fresh air of the morning as the sunlight gleamed off the leaves of the palm trees outside her apartment. She turned back to face her bedroom, tying up her dark dreadlocks in a high ponytail, the breeze cool on the back of her neck. She threw her sheets over her bed, smoothed it out, and changed from her pyjamas to a patterned tank top and frayed denim shorts.

Cosima made herself a mug of coffee and turned on the TV, grabbing the remote to flick through the channels. There was nothing on, as usual. She turned it off and picked up a book instead. _The Island of Doctor Moreau_. It was Cosima's favourite book; she had read it countless times, and it always lay on her coffee table so she could pick it up any time. Her apartment was small, but cosy. Cosima had really made the place her own; the walls were covered in paintings and photographs, as well as posters of her favourite movies. In the corner was a tall shelf stacked full of DVDs, old records and CDs. Candles littered every surface, and a patterned rug lay under the coffee table on the cool wooden floor. The red material couch faced the flatscreen TV, and silver stools topped with worn black cushions lined the breakfast bar that separated the lounge and the kitchen.

She checked her cell phone, and found a collection of good luck messages from her friends and family, as well as less kind and more formal emails from her manager and team. Today was the day Cosima had been waiting for since she found out she had got the part. Today she was meeting her co-star, Delphine Cormier. She was a huge fan of the French actress, and she couldn't help but feel nervous. She had to admit that she felt slightly initimidated by the woman; Delphine was a star, and Cosima was relatively unknown. Cosima hoped that Delphine wouldn’t be arrogant and aloof because of her fame. She already felt inferior, knowing that most people, come release day, wouldn’t be going to see the film because of her, but because of her co-star. More importantly, Cosima wanted Delphine to like her.

She read through her texts and saw one from the director of the movie, Tony Sawicki. 'It's the big day!' It read. 'I know you two are gonna get along great!' Cosima groaned; all this pressure from everyone else made her even more nervous. She nestled further into the couch and wrapped herself in a comfortable patterned throw. Cosima was well liked by anyone who met her, but she didn't see it that way herself. She was kind and outgoing, but she was modest.

She had never met Delphine Cormier, but already she was drawn to her in a way she couldn't quite explain.


	2. Chapter 2

_0 weeks, 1 day._

Cosima struggled to concentrate on Tony's words; they tumbled out in excitement and it was giving Cosima a headache. So she nodded occasionally, laughed when he did, until the mention of Delphine Cormier grabbed her attention and she snapped back to focus.

  
'She'll be here in ten minutes', he murmured, eyes down on the screen as he scrolled through the text message on his cell phone. She craned her neck to get a look for herself, but Tony shut off the screen and turned back to face her.

  
'You're quiet this morning, Cosima. What's up with you? You nervous?'  he teased.

  
'I'm fine', Cosima replied, before adding, 'well, maybe a little'.

  
'Don't be. I know you don’t know the crew well yet, but you will. They’re really cool, I promise. You’ve met the supporting cast already, they’re all obsessed with you. And Delphine's awesome, you'll like her'.

  
Everybody told her that. _Delphine's great_ , they said. _You'll really like Delphine_. She believed it, sure. But the truth was, she was afraid the blonde wouldn't like her back. She wasn’t in the same league as the French star. She wasn’t even close.

Her eyes scanned the room; it was a large conference room in the Paramount Pictures complex, full of cast and crew members, introducing themselves to each other, chatting, laughing. The tables had been cleared to expose scratched wooden floorboards, and signed movie posters and character portraits hung on the walls in huge glass frames. Cosima was too exhausted to join in on the conversation. Instead she leaned lazily against the floor-to-ceiling window with Tony, observing the energy in the room, wishing she felt more like her usual self. She had met everyone in the room over the past few weeks, and she felt impolite for not making the effort to speak to them. After all, Cosima had a way with people and loved to make friends; everyone she met felt drawn to her fun-loving personality immediately. But, like every moment that morning, her thoughts drifted back to Delphine.

  
'What if she doesn't like me?' Cosima asked, nervously twisting a dreadlock around her finger.

  
Tony looked across at Cosima in understanding. 'So that's what you're worried about? Dude, you're over-thinking this whole thing. Just relax. Everyone thinks that way sometimes, but trust me, you'll get along great.'

  
'But why do you think that, Tony?’ she pushed him further. ‘Why are you so certain? I've met, like, everyone except Delphine, and she's the one I have to work with the most. Didn't you wanna see us act together before you asked us to work on this movie?'

  
Tony waved a hand dismissively. 'Nah, man, when you know, you know. It's instinct. You're the perfect Carey'. At the last statement, Tony's eyes drifted away from Cosima's to look over her shoulder, then nodded in the direction behind her. 'And there's your perfect Amélie'.

Cosima whipped round with such speed that her dreadlocks hit her across the face. Brushing them away, her eyes scouted the room. And then she saw her.

  
People flocked towards her; she hugged those she knew and introduced herself to those she didn't. Her beautiful, bright smile never left her face as she turned in every direction, greeting everyone around her, soft golden curls bouncing. Her white skater dress was simple but she made it look so elegant with the way that it flowed behind her as she walked.

Delphine's eyes found Cosima's, and her eyes lit up in excitement. Tony waved at her, and she hurried over, kissing him on the cheek in greeting. Then she turned to her co-star.

  
'Hey, I'm Cosima', the brunette smiled, extending a hand.

  
'Delphine. Enchantée'.

  
'Enchantée', Cosima replied in her best French accent. Delphine giggled.

  
'I'll leave you two to get acquainted', Tony said, leaving them to go and speak to Scott, the director of photography, at the other side of the room.

  
'You know, Cosima, I'm really excited to meet you!’ Delphine gushed excitedly. ‘I am a huge fan of your work! Tu es magnifique!'

  
Cosima was shocked by this, and pleasantly surprised by Delphine's warm personality. Her nerves had already begun to fade away.

  
'Really? That's so awesome!' Cosima exclaimed. 'And I love your work, too, of course. You're amazing! And it's even better 'cause you speak two languages, I always thought that was really cool, and I love all your French movies although of course it's different for me 'cause I have to read subtitles off the screen, but your performances in them are so beautiful and - sorry, I'm talking too much, please shut me up!'

'Non, Cosima! That's very kind of you'. Delphine giggled at her co-star's excitable rambling, and as Cosima grinned back she realised that they were still holding hands.

 

* * *

 

 

Cosima fascinated Delphine. The long dreadlocks that crawled down her back, the delicate silver ring in her nose. The warm hazel eyes framed by thick black eyeliner that sharpened to a point in both the inner and outer corners, hidden behind her glasses. Her infectious laughter and her genuine interest in everyone and everything around her. Her lust for life. She asked questions and listened intently to every reply, with inquisitive eyes that Delphine was sure could see right down to her soul.

  
They’d been talking for over an hour already, drinking golden champagne out of slim crystal glasses.

  
'So you came all the way from France to be here for this?' Cosima asked.

  
'Yes, I've been in Paris for the past six months. My boyfriend, Paul, is American so we live between Paris and New York', Delphine answered.  
'That's pretty amazing. I've been to New York, but never to Paris. I would love to go there, though'.

  
‘Paris is very beautiful’, Delphine said, a nostalgic smile passing across her face, quickly replaced by a frown. ‘But sometimes it is difficult living between two countries. And Paul plays in a band, so he's always touring'.

  
'That sucks'.

  
'Yes, I get very lonely sometimes. But I have this movie, and Tony. And you'.

  
Cosima looked up, eyes meeting Delphine's, and a bright smile broke across her face. When Delphine smiled back, her heart fluttered a little.

  
'So, what about you, Cosima?' asked Delphine, tilting her head to one side curiously. 'D'où venez-vous? Where are you from?'

  
'San Francisco, born and raised' Cosima stated proudly. 'But I moved down to LA when I got into acting'.

  
'You like it here, non?'

  
'Yeah, it's great! I have a little apartment in Santa Monica, which I love, and I don't even have to leave the state too often 'cause most of the movies I've worked on were shot in Hollywood. I've worked in other countries too, and it's awesome, but there's nothing like being home'.

  
'I agree’, Delphine nodded. ‘I have travelled to many places in France for work, and it's always nice to be in my own country. But if course, living in New York also, America is becoming like home to me too'.

This was only half true. Delphine's New York apartment wasn't exactly 'home'. It had been once, in the early days of her relationship, but now Paul was always off with his band, and Delphine was left alone in this big, lifeless space, wishing she were back in her cosy house in Paris. America wasn't her home yet, it was a just a place she had become familiar with.

  
'So, have you worked in a lot of different countries?'

  
'Oui'. Delphine thought for a moment, remembering her favourite places. 'I visited Okinawa, the Japanese island, for my last American film. It was very beautiful. And I've worked in Cambodia, Indonesia … oh, and Argentina is wonderful'.

  
'No way, that’s so awesome!' Cosima exclaimed in awe.

  
'Do you like to travel?' Delphine asked her.

  
'Yeah, but I haven't been able to do it much over the past few years. I've been working all the time, and I had a girlfriend so I felt like I had to stay around. I couldn't just take off, y'know?’

  
'But you are not together anymore?'

  
'No, that girl was crazy', Cosima laughed.

  
'Then why don't you go? Sure, you are working on this movie, but then what?' Delphine smiled mischievously, anticipating Cosima's reaction.

  
Cosima thought for a moment. No one had ever asked her something like this before. Most people wanted to Cosima to tone down her spontaneity, yet Delphine was encouraging it. Immediately, she was inspired.

  
'Maybe I will, Delphine. Maybe I will'.

 

* * *

 

Tony's speeches were always short and informal; he wasn't one to show off. He yelled to the room, making everyone jump, and he beckoned to them to gather round.

  
'So, everyone, this is it! I hope you all had a good afternoon getting to know each other a little better and I just wanted to thank you for being here. As you know, filming starts next week, and I hope you're all as excited as I am. To my awesome cast and my hard-working crew', he raised his glass into the air, 'let's make a movie!'

  
The room erupted into cheers and shouts. Tony spotted Cosima and winked at her, and she winked back cheekily. Then she turned to Delphine, who was standing next to her, taking a sip of her champagne. She looked up at the taller woman. People were slowly starting to filter out, saying their goodbyes.

  
'So I better hit the road. I'll see you next week!'

  
'I look forward to it, Cosima. And here', she fumbled in her purse and took out a slip of paper with a number written on it. 'Call me'. She kissed Cosima on the cheek.

'I will', Cosima smiled, blushing slightly. 'See you later, Delphine'.

'Au revoir, Cosima'.

  
With that, the American turned to leave. On her way out, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder to steal a final glance of the woman who, just hours ago, she had felt afraid of. The woman who she was lucky enough to be spending the next few months getting to know.

 


	3. Chapter 3

_2 weeks, 4 days._

 

Cosima knew the best places in LA.

The coffee shop was simple but elegant; white walls covered in photographs and canvases, and black cursive writing listed all the drinks and their prices. The floor was cold black tile, and every wooden table held a pot of brown sugar and a jar of tiny yellow flowers. Businessmen and women in suits sat hunched over laptops, friends laughed happily while the baristas chatted with their customers.

Cosima spotted her friend, one of the baristas, behind the counter and waved him over.

  
'Hey Felix!'

  
'Well, if it isn't the fabulous Miss Niehaus', he teased, sauntering over.

  
'I thought I told you not to call me that' she said sulkily, turning away. Delphine found her friend's shyness amusing, and she couldn't keep a giggle from escaping her lips.

  
Cosima punched Delphine's arm playfully, unable to stop herself from giggling too. 'Don't encourage him! Felix just loves to embarrass me in front of everyone here'.

  
'Well, you're a big star now’, he said matter-of-factly. ‘Stop being so modest!'

His eyes moved across to Delphine and he looked her up and down, taking in her halo of golden hair, simple white shirt, blue jeans and black heeled boots.

  
'And who is this tall drink of water?' he asked, though he clearly knew who he was looking at. 'It's Delphine, right? Cosima's told me everything about you. She's your number one fan'.

  
'Felix!' Cosima groaned. 'See? Always embarrassing me!'

  
'Oh, come on, Cosima, you don't have to hide your admiration for me', Delphine joined in the teasing, hooking her arm over Cosima's shoulders. 'After all, I am a much better actress than you'. She tossed her hair over her shoulder in mock arrogance.

  
'Oh, don't you start!' Cosima laughed.

Delphine ordered coffee while Cosima chose iced tea, the brunette paying for them both before Delphine could even reach for her purse.

  
'My treat', Cosima winked.

  
The two women made their way to one of the wooden tables and Felix brought over their drinks. Delphine's coffee was topped with an elegant pattern of swirls made from milk and chocolate powder.

  
'So how do you know Felix?' Delphine asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

  
'Well', Cosima began hesitantly. 'It's kind of a long story'.

  
'I have time', Delphine replied, and her smile faded for a moment as she asked, 'unless you don't want to tell me'.

  
'No, no, it’s not that, I'll tell you, of course', Cosima assured her, bringing the beautiful smile back to Delphine's face. 'I'm from San Francisco, like I told you before. About three years ago, when I was shooting my fourth movie there, I got a call from a woman named Alison Hendrix. She told me that I was her sister, and she had been trying to find me for over a year. She said we had two other sisters out there - we were quadruplets. Now, as you can imagine, I didn't really know what to believe at first. I was adopted as a kid, and my parents don't really talk to me anymore since I came out, so I couldn't ask them, and I don't know if they would know anything about my past anyway. It was definitely possible'.

‘How did she find you?’ Delphine inquired, a little taken aback by Cosima’s intriguing story.

‘She saw me in a movie’.

Delphine’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’re lying’.

Cosima held her hands up in defence. ‘No way, dude, I’m totally serious. She knew she had three sisters out there, and when she saw me on the screen, her identical, she knew I was one of them.

‘Alison flew out to San Francisco to meet me, and I went to pick her up at the airport. Seeing her was crazy. She looked exactly like me, minus the dreads and the glasses. She had bangs and this typical 'suburban mom' style outfit. To this day, it was the strangest experience of my life'. She laughed, and Delphine laughed along in agreement, trying to imagine what it must be like to meet her own identical.

Cosima continued. 'She stayed at my apartment for three weeks as we tried to track down our other two sisters. She told me about her husband and her two kids back home, my little niece and nephew, and I told her about my life in return. We found Sarah first. We traced her all the way to England, where she'd been brought up in the foster system and then adopted by a woman named Siobhan. Felix is Sarah's foster brother'.

Cosima paused to nod over to Felix, who was flirting with some guy at the counter.

  
'Sarah didn't believe us. We had to Skype her a few times before she agreed to meet us. Her face the first time was a picture!’ Cosima laughed at the memory. 'She flew to California to meet us in person. It turned out Sarah and Alison were both living in Toronto. They went home before we found Helena, but we kept in touch on Skype while we tried to find her. And then she came to us.

  
'Helena grew up in a convent in Ukraine, and the nuns there had always told her about her sisters. So one day she just took off. She went to Canada and just turned up on Sarah's doorstep. I met her over Skype, she has, like, this wild, really light blonde hair and she was just like 'hello sestra'. She didn't even seem surprised to see me, but she loved the 'magic screen' of Sarah's laptop'.

Delphine giggled as Cosima remembered. Cosima had been smiling the whole time, and Delphine could see what an important part of her life this story was. And it was such a fascinating story.

  
'They come to visit every now and then, and I go East to see them. Sarah has a kid too, her name is Kira. Helena lives with them at the moment, but she just got this boyfriend, Jesse', Cosima laughed and shook her head. 'Man, I feel sorry for that guy. I mean, Helena's great, but she's a little intense'.

  
'Did you ever find your birth parents?' Delphine asked.

  
Cosima shook her head. 'We don't know who they are, or why they gave us up, and how we ended up on different continents, but I have three sisters who I love to pieces. We go on some pretty wild nights out. In fact, they're coming to visit in a couple of weeks'.

  
'Really? That is great!'

  
'Yeah', Cosima blushed slightly as she looked up at Delphine. 'I told them about you. About our movie. And about all your movies. Alison went out and bought every single one'.

  
'Oh, Cosima! Vous êtes si gentils!'

  
'What does that mean?'

  
'It means you are very sweet', Delphine giggled.

  
'Nah, Alison just likes to think she's really clever 'cause she watches foreign films', Cosima joked. 'But really though, I do love your work, Delphine. You're, like, super talented'.

  
'You are very kind, Cosima, and you too are very talented. Did I tell you that I have seen 'The Life and Death of Elizabeth Childs' twelve times?'

  
Cosima's eyes widened. 'You know that movie?'

  
It had been Cosima's third movie, a small independent production, where she had starred as a woman who stepped out in front of a train at the beginning, with the movie telling the story of her troubled life and the reasons for her suicide. Cosima loved working on that movie; Beth Childs was one of her favourite characters to play.

  
'Yes', Delphine replied, taking another sip of coffee and then setting the china cup down on the table. 'It's my favourite film of yours. Your performance was just excellent!'

  
Cosima brushed it off modestly, and expressed her thanks, but inside she was elated. They spoke more about each other's careers; it turned out Delphine knew more about her than Cosima first thought, and she was shocked. After all, Delphine was one of the most famous actresses in France, a title that had earned her significant recognition in America too. Yet here she was, and she knew every film that Cosima, who had made just one major movie aside from her collection of little-known indie films, had worked on. Cosima ranted about her evil ex-girlfriend - 'Her name was Shay. That girl was a total bitch!' - while Delphine shared stories of her life in France. The conversation flowed naturally; Delphine and Cosima felt completely at ease around each other and they never ran out of things to talk about.

Felix watched the two women from behind the counter. He saw the way Cosima's face lit up every time Delphine spoke, how Delphine looked back at her with inquisitive eyes, constantly fascinated by Cosima's words, the way Delphine placed her hand on top of Cosima's as they threw back their heads in laughter.

'What are you looking at?' Felix's co-worker, Katja stood behind him, looking over his shoulder to see what was happening. She followed his eye line to see Cosima sat opposite a tall, slim woman with soft blonde hair and an elegant, expensive looking outfit. Katja's eyes widened in recognition.

  
'Is that Delphine Cormier?' she gasped in her heavy German accent. 'Cosima knows Delphine Cormier?'

  
'They're making a film together', Felix muttered, uninterested by Katja's surprise.

  
'Cosima likes her', she observed. She had known Cosima for almost as long as Felix had, and she recognised when Cosima had a crush.

  
'You know, Katja, I was thinking exactly the same thing'.

 

* * *

 

 

Delphine ran her fingers through her hair, which she had spent over an hour straightening that morning in an attempt to control her usually wild mane of golden waves.

  
'So where did the curls go today?' Cosima asked, tilting her head to one side as if sizing up her friend's new look, using her straw to swirl ice around her empty plastic cup.

  
'Why, do you not like my hair this way?' Delphine's eyes widened in mock offence, though secretly she hoped that Cosima would approve.

  
'Dude, no way, I always love your hair. Your hair is like, the most beautiful hair I've ever seen. In fact, you're beautiful in every way'. She grinned cheekily.

  
There was something about Cosima's words that made Delphine feel different than she ever had before; a simple compliment meant so much more to her than she thought possible. She smiled warmly in return, blushing a little, unsure of what else to say without making a fool of herself.

  
At that moment, Delphine's phone began to ring.

  
'Hold on', Delphine fumbled in her purse and retrieved her cell.

  
'Merde, sorry, it's my boyfriend, I'll just be one moment'. Smiling apologetically, she hurried over to the wall in a quiet corner of the shop, pacing as she spoke.

  
Felix saw his chance and rushed over to sit in Delphine's empty chair, making Cosima jump as he slammed down into the seat.

  
'So, how's it going with Del-fine?' he asked eagerly, his love of gossip taking over.

  
'Great. She's on the phone with her boyfriend'.

  
'Yikes. That's gotta hurt. Sorry, Cos'.

  
Cosima looked up quickly, startled, like a rabbit in the headlights. 'Why are you sorry?'

  
'Cos, are you kidding me? You like her, and you know it'.

  
'No I don't. She's just my co-worker. I wanna be friends, she does too'.

  
'Whatever you say, Cos', Felix winked, which only annoyed Cosima more. Sure, Cosima liked Delphine. She was kind, funny, exciting, beautiful, and they had so much in common …

  
_Oh crap_ , Cosima thought. Was it that obvious? Felix had noticed Cosima's crush on Delphine before she had even acknowledged it herself.

  
She glanced over at her new friend, and for the first time she noticed every perfect detail.

 


	4. Chapter 4

_3 months, 2 weeks_

'Katja, darling, will you get out of my way', Felix complained as he rushed around behind the counter, shoving patterned paper cups under the coffee machine, pouring drops of caramel syrup into lattes, dusting chocolate powder over mochas.

Katja occupied the till with her usual bored expression, taking money from customers with a false smile and a series of sarcastic comments aimed at Felix.

Cosima leant on the counter as her friends worked, head resting in her hand and an empty can of Mountain Dew in front of her.

  
'Come on, Felix, I haven't got all day', Mark, one of their regular customers, joked, tapping his watch patronisingly. 'Anyone would think you hate serving coffee'.

  
'Oh, get lost, not all of us have our dream jobs. Not like the fabulous Miss Niehaus over there, she gets to kiss Delphine Cormier today', Felix retorted.

  
'Delphine Cormier? You're making a movie with Delphine Cormier?' Mark exclaimed, looking at Cosima in surprise. Some customers still stared at her in recognition, starstruck, but to regulars like Mark, her presence no longer shocked them.

  
Cosima blushed and glared at Felix. 'Dude, stop telling everyone!'

  
'What? It's exciting! Besides, she's hot, and Cosima knows it'.

  
'Felix!'

  
'Ignore him, Cosima', Katja assured her. 'Felix, you're making her nervous!'

  
'So you like Delphine, then?' Mark asked.

  
'Nah, we're just friends. I don't like her in that way'.

  
'That's what she keeps telling herself', Felix teased.

  
Cosima buried her face in her hands. Was she being that obvious? Yes, she had a crush Delphine, but she never intended to act on it. Delphine was straight. She had a boyfriend. Even if she wasn't, Cosima was convinced that Delphine could never love her. And today, Cosima and Delphine would film their first kiss for the movie.  


Cosima cursed herself for thinking about her relationship with the French actress as anything but platonic. Falling for Delphine would just complicate everything.

But she couldn't stop herself.

 

* * *

 

 

At the studios, Delphine bustled into Tony's office with armfuls of shopping bags and a tray of Starbucks coffee, leaving Tony and Scott gawping.

  
'Jeez, Del, what happened!' Tony joked as he eyed the numerous paper bags.

Sephora, Chanel, Prada, and smaller bags hidden beneath them.

  
'What? I have been working hard, haven't I? It's about time I treated myself. So I spent the morning being - what do you call it- a rich bitch?'

  
Tony snorted. He pictured her stalking round Beverly Hills in her skinny jeans and Louboutins, giant Gucci sunglasses hiding her face.

Delphine smirked as she dumped her bags in the corner of the room. She took out two cups of coffee from the tray and handed one to Scott, then to Tony. She tossed her straightened hair over her shoulder and jumped up to sit on the table, swinging her legs and kicking the chair with her black high heels.

  
'So, you went shopping with Cosima?' Scott asked.

  
'No, alone. Cosima was with Felix at the coffeehouse this morning'. Delphine checked her phone, to find a new text from the American.

  
'She's on her way over now'.

  
'It's cool that you've been getting on so well', Tony observed.

  
'Yes, it is good. She has been showing me around the city. We've been practising our lines together, you will be pleased to know'.

  
Tony laughed. 'Makes my job easier, I suppose. You two are really great together, though. Really great chemistry. You can see it in the scenes. And you've built such a strong friendship so soon'.

  
'It is easy with her', Delphine shrugged. 'She is very easy to talk to. I feel like I can tell her anything. You know, I even told her about science'.

  
'Science?' Tony's eyes widened in mock horror, making Delphine giggle.

  
'Do not mock me, Tony. You know how important that is to me'.

 

_'So did you always want to be an actor?' Delphine asked Cosima across the table._

_They were having dinner in a tiny Italian restaurant near to Cosima's apartment. Beautiful paintings of sunsets in Tuscany covered the beige walls, and dark red candles burned on the tables._

  
_'Yeah, my parents were big into movies and plays and all that stuff. I kind of grew up watching, thinking that I'd like to do that one day. I never thought I'd make it as an actor. It's difficult, you know. But in the future, I wanna direct my own movie. That's my dream', she smiled, twisting spaghetti on her fork. 'What about you?'_

  
_Delphine didn't usually truthfully answer this question. She'd heard it many times before, and the answers were always the same._ Oh yes. Of course, I always wanted to act _. But, with Cosima, she felt she could truly be herself. She could tell her anything._

  
_'Actually, no', she confessed. 'I became an actress almost by mistake. I was invited to an audition by a director who saw me in a fashion show. I used to be a model, when I was a teenager', Delphine laughed and shook her head, Cosima looking at her curiously. The French woman stared down at the table, tracing shapes on the wood with her fingertip._

  
_'Of course, I am very lucky to be where I am. But the truth is, I do not love acting. I suppose I did, once, but the life of fame is just not for me. I want to be … a scientist'._

  
_Delphine braced herself for the judgments. She had started keeping her dream a secret since she had heard people's reactions in the past._ A scientist? Why? How? You have everything, why would you throw it all away? Most people would kill to be in your position!

  
_But nothing came. Delphine looked up to meet Cosima's eyes. They were curious and intense, but there was no confusion in them. Cosima tipped her head on one side, as if to gain a new perspective of her friend._

  
_'Well, I didn't see that one coming', Cosima chuckled. 'Science? That's awesome! But what happened, to lead you down this road?'_

  
_'I studied science in Paris. Biology. But I started modelling because I needed the money. It is my dream to get my PhD, but when I got my first movie role, I let that dream go. I loved acting in the beginning, but now I am not so sure'._

  
_'Then why do you do it?'_

  
_Delphine had asked herself this question many times, and she still didn't have a valid answer._

 

'Yeah, I know Del. I'm sorry. But that's great, isn't it? And your big scene today too! How are you feeling about it?' Tony asked.

  
The question left Delphine reeling. Truthfully, she was unusually nervous about kissing Cosima. It was hard for her to understand; she never felt nervous about kissing her co-stars, it was just an inevitable part of her job. But with Cosima she felt different, and she wasn't sure why. She had dreamt about what it would be like, to pull Cosima closer, to wrap her slender arms around the brunette's waist, to caress her cheek before leaning in, soft lips touching, eyes closed. It felt so … romantic. But why was she feeling like this?

 

She quickly pushed this thought to the back of her mind. Confronting her confused emotions gave her a headache.

  
'What do you mean, how am I feeling about it? It is just work, non?' she replied through her false mask of confidence. Tony remained silent, but Delphine swore she could see a hint of suspicion in his smile.

 

* * *

 

 

Delphine and Cosima took their places on set, a mock-up laboratory with gleaming white plastic desks, bright white lamps and cool blue colored walls and floor. There was a fume hood in the corner, and test tubes filled with bright liquids in green, blue, yellow, purple lay in test tube racks on the central desk. A little over the top, Delphine thought with a smirk.

  
Off camera, crew members hurried around, talking into headsets, flipping through papers, while Scott operated the camera and Tony gave the signal.

  
'Is everyone ready? We'll try and get this all in one take, so no pressure', he winked at the actresses. They nodded nervously in reply, smiling at each other one last time.

  
The clapboard snapped shut.

  
'Action!'

'Amélie, we can't stay here. It's too dangerous. You know that, right?' Carey asks cautiously, slowly moving towards Amélie.

  
'I know, Carey, I just … I'm just afraid to leave', Amélie looked around at the lab as if saying goodbye to the inanimate objects that surrounded her. 'Where do we go? We have nothing outside this city. No one we know, no place to stay… can you blame me for feeling reluctant?'

  
'Of course not. I could never blame you. This whole mess is not your fault. We did nothing to deserve this'. Carey took Amélie's hands in her own and looked up at the taller woman. 'But we have each other', she whispered.  
The French woman reached out to caress Carey's cheek, and in turn the American reached up to place her hands around Amélie's neck, pulling her closer until their faces were just inches apart. Amélie slipped her arms around Carey's waist.

  
To Cosima and Delphine, it was mechanical; it was a job, they had done scenes like this before. But as they leaned in closer, the cameras, the lights, the set … they all faded away. It was different. It felt so real.

  
Finally, their lips met in a soft kiss. Cosima's fingers ran through Delphine's silky hair as the taller woman continued to pull her closer. It was passionate but gentle. Loving.

Carey and Amélie were long gone. As they drew apart, it was only Cosima and Delphine who stared back at each other, intense eyes meeting in realisation like those of estranged lovers.

The moment was interrupted by 'Cut!' and a studio full of people applauding.

Startled, the actresses turned to face the crew, and Tony, who yelled, 'Guys, that was perfect!' over the noise.

  
Cosima maintained a false smile as the actresses shared an awkward hug and a quiet word of congratulations. The whole situation just felt odd. Here was a crowd of people cheering for her for kissing a woman she wished would kiss her like that off camera. Would love her like that off camera.

  
The pair left the set hastily.

And Cosima watched Delphine go, unaware that the other woman felt the same as she did.

Delphine fled to a dark, empty room down a long corridor, shrugging off Amélie's lab coat and brushing long strands of golden hair out of her face. She closed the door quietly behind her, but Tony, sensing something wasn't right, had followed her. He knocked twice on the door, where Delphine remained on the other side, facing the darkness.

  
'Del, what's up?' Tony asked tentatively. 'Talk to me'.

  
'It's just all wrong!' she cried. Beneath her hand, she felt the door handle move, but she stopped it dead, leaning all her weight against the door.

  
'Tony, don't come in here. I need to be alone. Please, just leave me alone'.

  
The French woman heard footsteps fading away, and she sank to the floor, head in her hands. All her swirling emotions collected to ask one question.

  
_Am I falling in love with Cosima?_

 

* * *

 

 

Outside in the corridor, Cosima sat cross legged against the wall, dreadlocks falling over one shoulder, stroking the soft material of the lab coat as if feeling for Delphine's embrace.

  
A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, black eyeliner staining the water that trickled down her face. She wiped it away quickly, and her eyes scanned the place, checking no one was around to hear her. Seeing that she was alone, she hit the green call button and held the phone up to her ear. After just a couple of rings, Cosima heard the British voice answer.

  
'Felix' she whispered. 'I'm in love with Delphine Cormier'.

 

* * *

 

 

Inside their heads, they reached out for the other, but were greeted by the hollow silence of anxiety. It was like holding out a hand to someone, stretching out to touch them, only to have them pull away at the last second, too afraid or too nervous to make the connection, to tell the truth.

  
The pain of unrequited love crushed down on the actresses, without knowing the other was sat just inches away, feeling exactly the same thing.

With just a wall between them, the two women cried for the love they didn't know was real.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_4 months_

The wheels smacked against the ground with a loud crash and Cosima's Converse shoes hit the board with perfect timing. Delphine watched in awe and applauded wildly as her friend landed the jump.

  
'Tu es magnifique, Cosima! That was amazing!' she gasped as Cosima picked up the skateboard and joined Delphine on the bench.

  
It was late afternoon in Venice Beach and Cosima had promised she would show Delphine her skateboarding tricks. It had been a few weeks since their kiss, and their friendship was back to normal after the days of awkwardness following the event. Cosima had approached Delphine and apologized for leaving without saying anything. She had made up an excuse about feeling unwell, and pretended she was fine about the whole situation. Delphine had told her friend that she had nothing to be sorry about, but failed to mention that she too had left the studios that day in a mess of nerves and confusion.

For now, they were enjoying their time together as friends. For now, they were pushing all their feelings and confusion aside.  


She offered the board to the French woman. 'Your turn' Cosima grinned.  


'What? No, I cannot skateboard!' Delphine shook her head.  


'Oh, come on, I'll teach you! You can't come to Venice Beach and not go skateboarding!'

  
The American held out her hand to Delphine. She was hesitant for a moment, but she couldn't help but fall for Cosima's reassuring smile. Shaking her head, but still grinning, she took the brunette's hand and got to her feet.

  
'Okay, so just do what I did before. Right foot on the board, push off with the left'.

  
Delphine grabbed the skateboard and set it on the ground. She breathed in, trying not to be distracted by the watchful eyes of Cosima, and set her foot on the board. She wobbled slightly, and Cosima rushed to her side, ready to catch her if she fell.

  
'Merde', Delphine chuckled. 'I don't think I will be very good at skateboarding'. The French actress wanted to impress Cosima, but things weren't exactly turning that way.

  
'Just relax. Now, push off from the ground … and … go!'  
Delphine began rolling along the sidewalk slowly as she pushed off, then quickly moved her left foot onto the board, trying to maintain her balance. Her foot hit the floor again as she pushed off the ground, gaining speed.

Cosima jogged alongside her. 'Yeah, Delphine! You're a natural!'  


Cosima's compliment distracted her momentarily, and the blonde wobbled. She gasped, reaching out for Cosima, who grabbed her hands to steady her. The American began to run alongside the skateboard, laughing, dragging Delphine along with her. The blonde squealed as they picked up speed, Cosima throwing her head back in laughter, and Delphine jumping off the skateboard and toppling over onto the grass. Cosima, who was still holding her hands, fell down at her side, the pair laughing until tears streamed down their faces, the skateboard stopped in the grass.

 

* * *

 

 

The actresses sat with Katja, relaxing on a patch of grass by the sidewalk, watching the skateboarders and cyclists pass by. Felix had gone to buy ice cream. Cosima tilted back her head, facing the sun, closing her eyes, her black crop top and denim shorts leaving skin exposed and bronzed by the sun. Delphine lay down with her bag as a cushion under her head, wearing enormous dark sunglasses and a light blue playsuit with beige sandals, long, tanned legs stretched out. Katja sat leaning against a palm tree, reading. The moment was peaceful, until it was interrupted by Felix's return, cell phone against his ear.

  
'I don't care, Colin', he shouted loudly down the phone, startling Cosima, who was disappointed to see him return empty-handed.

  
'Dude, where's my ice cream?'

  
'Shut up, Cosima! No not you, Colin, I was talking to Cos- what do you mean? Bloody hell, Colin, you expect me to apologise? I'm not the one running around town with every guy I can find. I'm not being jealous!'

  
Felix wandered off out of earshot, still whinging.

  
'What was that all about?' Delphine giggled.

  
'Boy trouble', Katja muttered, looking back down at her magazine.

  
Felix stormed back over to the group, furious. 'I have had it with that man!'  


'Dude, you do realise you're not actually together. He is allowed to see other people', Cosima explained, trying to hide her laughter, Delphine laughing too. Felix was always so over-dramatic.

  
'It's not funny, Cos. And don't you start, Delphine', he glared at the French woman, who held up her hands in innocence, but couldn't keep the smile from her face.

  
'Katja, a little support here?' Felix tried to gain the German's attention.

  
Katja looked up and eyed him moodily. 'I'm not getting involved'.

  
Felix sighed and slumped back on the grass. Cosima and Delphine looked across at each other, still laughing.

 

* * *

 

 

'Oh. My. God! Are you Delphine Cormier?'

A young woman with dyed blonde hair and bright pink lips approached the group and stopped in her tracks, squealing in delight. A quiet girl with long red hair stood beside the hysterical woman, embarrassed by her friend's behaviour.

'Gracie, it's Delphine Cormier! And … Cosima Niehaus? No way. No way!' the woman cried. 'I'm Krystal! And this is Gracie', she gestured to the red-haired girl, who waved awkwardly.

  
'Hello, Krystal, it's nice to meet you', Delphine smiled politely.

  
'Oh my goodness, this is so exciting! Would you guys take a picture with us?'

  
'Um, yes, of course', Delphine's smile faded, as she disliked the fuss, but she agreed anyway.

  
'Felix?' Cosima took Krystal's camera and offered it to Felix.

  
'Why doesn't Katja get off her lazy arse and do it?’

  
'Schnautze, Felix! Urgh, fine!' Katja glared at Felix before getting up to retrieve the camera.

  
Krystal looked confusedly from person to person. Cosima noticed and laughed. 'Yeah, we're kind of an international group' she gestured to the Brit, to the German, to the French woman and to herself, the American.

  
Cosima and Delphine posed with Krystal and Gracie in front of the camera.

  
'Smile!' called Katja as she pressed the button.

  
'Thank you so much!' Krystal cried, pulling a surprised Delphine into a hug. The actress couldn't help but giggle, especially as Cosima winked at her over Krystal's shoulder.

  
'It is our pleasure', Delphine replied as she and Cosima waved the girls off.

  
'Oh, how privileged we are, to be hanging around with superstars!' Felix put a hand to his forehead, pretending to be starstruck.

  
'How can we, such ordinary people, ever impress you, oh great ones!' Katja joined in, before the two fell about laughing.

Delphine blushed as Cosima shoved Felix.  


'Hey, don't make fun of us! At least people recognise who's cool and who's not', Cosima retorted, giggling.

  
'Ouch, Cosima, that really hurt. And what about you, Del? The darling of France'.

  
'Stop it, Felix!' Delphine laughed off the comment, but something felt too real about it. Felix meant it as a joke, of course, but everyone knew it was true, and Delphine was struggling with the pressure.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun was setting over the vast ocean in front of them, but Venice Beach was still as vibrant as ever.

  
'So did you have a good day?' Cosima asked as she walked alongside the French woman, sipping Pepsi out of a straw in a paper cup.

  
'Oui, it is very beautiful here. And I love that you brought me here. So thank you', she beamed down at the shorter woman, brushing her golden curls out of her face.

  
'Dude, no problem! Anywhere you wanna go, just say the word'.

  
'Being shown around LA by someone who lives here makes me feel like less of a tourist'.

  
'Nah, you make me feel like a tourist! But it a good way, like, you make me see it all differently', Cosima's eyes met Delphine's and a smile broke across her face.

  
The blonde gazed back, her radiant smile making Cosima's heart race.

  
Delphine admired the American, her eyes wandering from her dreadlocks, to her warm and intense eyes, her silver nosering to the tattoo on her forearm. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time. Being with Cosima, she felt as though she could truly be herself. With her she felt … home. And the feeling scared her a little.

  
'You know, I have never met anyone like you, Cosima. Being away from home, and feeling so lonely … well, you have made being here so easy and comfortable. And I know I have only known you for a short time, but it seems so much longer and … you mean a lot to me. I just wanted you to know that'.

The pair stopped walking, and Delphine leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Cosima's cheek.

  
The American was touched. She had been worrying so much about the strength of her feelings for Delphine, but on days like this, she could ignore them. Though, in her heart, Cosima wanted them to be more than friends, she still felt so lucky to be close to Delphine at all, whether the relationship was platonic or not.

  
'Thank you, Delphine', she looked up, her eyes melting into blonde's, and her smile was one of pure elation. 'And I feel the same way, I totally love spending time with you'.

They continued to walk. In the heat of the moment, Cosima slipped a hand into the French woman's. _Crap!_ Cosima's heart stopped for a moment. She’d gone too far, she was certain of it. She prepared for Delphine to pull away, loosening her grip to allow her.

  
But instead, the two fell into a comfortable silence, their joined hands swinging between them as darkness rose above the LA skyline.

_I’m so screwed_ , Cosima thought to herself.

And next to her, Delphine was telling herself exactly the same thing.

 


	6. Chapter 6

_4 months, 2 weeks._

Delphine stood outside the studios under the shade of tall palm trees, smoking a cigarette, a cool breeze blowing through her straightened hair and floaty sunset-orange dress. She paced slowly up and down, smoke seeping though her scarlett lips in elegant clouds.

  
She heard the clatter of a shutting door, and Cosima appeared around the corner.  
She sauntered up to Delphine with her usual cheeky grin and laid-back attitude. Immediately, she noticed the absence of Delphine's radiant smile, the one she always had when she saw Cosima. Now she looked upset.

  
'Hey, what's up?' she asked as Delphine began stubbing out her cigarette on the wall.

  
The blonde turned to her and sighed. 'My boyfriend is flying into Los Angeles today. I have to go to pick him up this afternoon'. She sat down on the low white wall and was joined by the brunette.

  
'Oh', Cosima's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly amended it, not wanting Delphine to see she wasn’t all that happy about Paul's arrival. 'That's great, isn't it?'

  
‘Well, yes, because I haven't seen him in months, but-' she shook her head, leaving her sentence unfinished, deciding not bring Cosima down with her misery.

  
'Delphine, why are you unhappy?'

  
'It is nothing, ma chérie'.  
'You know you can tell me anything, right? Please talk to me', Cosima placed her hand on top of Delphine's, encouraging her to talk about what was bothering her. The blonde was thankful for Cosima; she cared so much, and she just wouldn't let go until she had at least had the opportunity to comfort her.

  
'Sometimes I feel like we are strangers. We hardly speak anymore. In those rare times that we are together, I ask him to stay, but within weeks he is gone. He leaves me so lonely and I feel like he doesn't even care'. With the last words, her voice cracked and she began to cry.

  
Cosima put her arm around Delphine and pulled her closer, and the blonde rested her head against Cosima's shoulder.

  
Cosima ignored the voice inside her head that screamed _'I love you, Delphine! I would never make you feel that way!'_

Instead she focused on comforting her friend and making her feel better, regardless of her own feelings. Because that's all that mattered to Cosima. She wanted Delphine to be happy, even if that was with Paul instead of her.

  
'Seems to me like he doesn't deserve you. But before I go jumping to conclusions, I think you two need to have a serious talk. You need to make him see that he's upsetting you and make it clear that you're not gonna spend the rest of your life putting up with that. I know you. You’re too nice. You’ll let him keep abandoning you because that’s what it takes for him to chase his dreams, and you’ll sit back and pretend you’re okay with it. You care so much for everyone else, Delphine. But this time, you have to be selfish, for your own happiness’.

Cosima trailed off, looking down at the floor. She was a hypocrite, and she knew it. She had just advised Delphine to stop putting Paul’s feelings before her own, but that was exactly what Cosima was doing now. She was suppressing her own feelings so she could be there to comfort Delphine when she was hurting, when in reality, she wanted so desperately for the blonde’s relationship to fail.

But Cosima made a promise to herself, as she looked into the tired eyes of her friend, saw how full of pain they were.

As long as Delphine was with Paul, she would never tell her how she really felt.

  
'I don't know what I would do without you, Cosima', Delphine smiled as she kissed her friend on the cheek.

  
'Well, I am pretty awesome' she grinned mischievously.

  
'And very cheeky', Delphine giggled. She felt better already.

  
Since meeting Cosima, the void in Delphine's chest that Paul had left had almost completely faded.

 

* * *

 

 

Through enormous dark sunglasses, the French actress watched as a crowd of people surged through arrivals, greeting their loved ones and dragging suitcases behind them, flustered and exhausted from their journeys.

  
Her hair was long and silky, her dark lipstick was perfect and her long nails were painted blood-red. She stood with one hand on her hip, the other clutching a black Céline bag. Her simple black crop top and light blue skinny jeans hugged her tall, slim figure and she wore her black Louboutin heels with the trademark red soles.

  
She wanted to look glamorous and sophisticated. She wanted to look like the exact opposite of the broken mess that Paul had left behind all those months ago.

  
Then she saw him, suitcase in tow, scanning the room until he found Delphine. A wide grin spread across his face, and he waved to his girlfriend across the crowded room. She waved back, flirtatious, and tipped her sunglasses slightly to peer over the frames. Sunlight streamed through the windows.

  
'Hey, babe!' Paul greeted her, pulling her into an embrace. 'I missed you!'

  
'Me too', she smiled, allowing herself to be enveloped by her boyfriend's strong arms. She leaned her head against his chest and breathed in the scent of his cologne. He held her for a moment and kissed the top of her head before releasing her.

  
'Del, you look incredible!' he exclaimed as he looked her up and down, leaning back to admire her as he held her hands in his own. Where once she would have blushed at the sound of his compliments, she now smiled back with confidence.

She had intended to look incredible - it was a classic tactic. She wanted her outfit to scream, _'look what you've been missing!'_

  
It was Cosima's idea. Delphine laughed to herself at the thought.

 

* * *

 

 

Now Paul and Delphine sat in the back of a taxi, hands joined across the middle seat, for the short ride from the airport to Delphine's hotel. She stared out of the window, daydreaming, watching the buzz of the city flash past the glass.

  
'So how have you been holding up without me', Paul asked tentatively, interrupting her thoughts.

  
She turned from the window to face him, eyes earnest.

  
'I've been okay', Delphine replied. She laughed a little to herself as her eyes slid down to settle on their joined hands, adding, 'I am now. It was very difficult at first'.

  
'I'm sorry, Del, you know I am. It's just business. You understand. You travel with your job'.

  
'Yes, but I could never leave you the way you have left me, so many times before'.

  
'Oh, come on, Del, don't be like that. I miss you every time I'm away. I love you'.

  
'But could you ever give up your job for me? You know I would for you'.

  
Paul sighed and shook his head, turning away from her.

  
Delphine knew she was ruining the moment that she had craved for so long, but she just couldn't help herself. Words kept slipping from her mouth uncontrollably. She had dreamed about their reunion for months, and now it was finally happening, she found herself caring less and less, resenting him more and more.

 

* * *

 

 

A whole week had passed since Paul's arrival in Los Angeles, and Cosima hadn't spoken to Delphine outside of the studios at all. She looked forward to the couple of hours a day she got to act alongside her, but that was the extent of their relationship over the past seven days. Cosima missed hanging out with her friend, and she couldn't deny that she was a little jealous of Paul.

  
'Oh, stop feeling so sorry for yourself, Cosima', Katja snapped, always the one to speak her mind.

  
'Well, that was uncalled for, Katja. But she’s got a point, Cos', Felix chipped in. 'We've been over this. Delphine has a boyfriend. She hasn't seen him in months, she's bound to ditch you to spend time with him'.

  
'I know', Cosima sighed, head in her hands. 'I just hate how that jerk shows up and steals her away. He's such an asshole to her'. She paused for a moment, looking down at the wooden table, stained with coffee rings. 'I would never treat her like that'.

  
Felix sighed. 'Darling, I think you'll have to settle for kissing her in character'.

  
But Cosima still couldn't accept that she would never be able to hold Delphine the way Carey held Amélie.

 

* * *

 

 

The days since Paul's return had been miserable without the company of Cosima, and Delphine was missing her friend as though they had been apart for months.

  
With Paul, every day was a routine. They would go shopping, to the beach, or drink lattes at quirky coffeehouses like the one Felix and Katja worked in. Then they would go get lunch. In the afternoon, Delphine would head to the studios or whatever location they were shooting at that day, but the actress was too busy working to spend time with Cosima out of character. Then they would go to dinner at the hotel, maybe watch a movie, have sex and go to bed. Then Delphine would cry while Paul slept. She almost always cried after sex, especially this week, when she felt like she didn't know the man who was sharing her bed. She enjoyed having him back, but with the scent of his cologne and the feel of him lying next to her, holding her, suppressed memories bubbled to the surface. Memories of him promising not to leave her again, then crying herself to sleep when he did. Of the feel of the empty bed and reaching out to feel nothing but the cold bed sheets. Of all the times he didn't call her back.

But she didn't feel like she once did, and having him around again only served to prove that, recently, she hadn’t been missing him like she did before. She didn't love him like that anymore.

  
Delphine wriggled free from Paul's embrace, carefully in order not to wake him, and turned away, reaching for her phone. There was only one person she wanted to talk to.

  
_'Hey',_ she typed. _'Are you still awake?'_

  
_'I am now',_ Cosima replied almost immediately, leaving Delphine smiling into the darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

'Babe, are you listening to me?' Paul asked as he buttoned up his plain white shirt, staring into the mirror.

  
'Hmm? Yes, of course', Delphine lied, running her fingers through her hair. She sat on the side of the bed, facing the open window, a slant of warm sunlight illuminating half her face.

  
'You weren't'.

  
'No', she sighed in defeat.

  
Paul ran a comb through his hair, continuing without looking at Delphine.

  
'I just asked you if you would join me on tour'.

  
Delphine's eyes widened in panic at his request.

  
'You're going on the road again?'

  
'In two weeks. We’re playing shows across Europe. You could come and join me when you're finished filming'.

  
'I can't come with you, Paul. When filming finishes, there's the press and the interviews and the premiere. I cannot just leave', she sighed, shaking her head.

  
'You don't have to stick around for that stuff', he shrugged.

  
Delphine began to get angry. 'But it is important to me! Everyone is counting on me, I can’t just fly away with you and leave it all behind!'

  
'Why not? You said it yourself, you always wanted to travel, so why not now?'

  
'Because I’m busy! I will not clear my schedule just to make you happy!' Delphine retorted, raising her voice.

  
'This is not about making me happy, it's about us being together. Stop making it all about you, Delphine!' Paul snapped, the pair getting angrier by the second.

  
'Making it all about me?' Delphine got up from the bed, furious, and turned to face her boyfriend. 'Says the man who leaves me for ten months of the year, then comes walking back into my life expecting to fit in perfectly. J'en ai marre!'

  
'Well at least I'm gone for a reason. I love my job. You would pass up this opportunity for yours?' he yelled. 'One minute, you hate acting and want to go running off back to school, the next, you've got a new role. Make up your god-damn mind, Delphine!'

  
'Je t'emmerde', Delphine snapped.

  
That last comment stung her like a knife tearing open her skin. She had shared her dreams with Paul, and now he used them as a weapon against her.

  
He sighed, putting his head in his hands, before wandering over to the window, breathing out deeply. Delphine sat back down on the side of the bed.

  
'Let's just calm down', he said, shaking his head as if shaking off the anger of the past minute. Delphine stared at the floor.

  
'I didn't mean to insult you. I just want us to be together'.

  
'Then why won’t you stay?', Delphine whispered as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

  
'You know I can't do that', he sighed in response.

  
Delphine felt herself reaching out desperately, trying to clutch the tattered remains of her feelings for Paul, but they were out of sight. She had buried them, unknowingly, the day she met Cosima.

  
The French woman looked up, eyes turning ice cold, penetrating those of his.  


'Fine', she said, her voice hard. 'But when you leave, we are over'.

  
Paul looked taken aback, and seeing that she had hurt him, the cold facade faded as quickly as it had come. She wasn't the kind of person to watch in satisfaction as she let someone's world come crashing down. She was sorry, but she was free.

  
'What?' he gasped in shock.

  
'I'm in love with someone else', she whispered through her tears.

  
And the first time she admitted it out loud was the first time she admitted it to herself.

 

* * *

 

 

The sound of Paul's suitcase rolling along the carpeted hallway of the hotel filled Delphine with an overwhelming guilt. She hated that it had to end this way. Three years, and this was what it had come to.

  
She followed him in frozen silence, not sure of what to do or say to make it better. His face was set in a fixed, emotionless expression, though Delphine could see he was struggling to keep himself together. It tore her apart.

  
The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. Paul rolled his suitcase inside and turned to face her one last time.

  
'I'm sorry', she whispered.

'Goodbye, Delphine', he said coolly as the doors closed in front of him.

  
Delphine broke down in tears in the middle of the corridor, the city lights shining through the window behind her.

 


	7. Chapter 7

_4 months, 2 weeks_

Alison, Sarah and Helena bustled through the door of their sister's apartment. Alison towed a pink striped suitcase that matched her pink shirt and hairband. Sarah, dressed all in black, looked flustered due to the heat and threw off her heavy black rucksack.

  
'Bloody hell, it's hot in here', she complained. She tied up her long dark hair and wandered over to the window, leaning right out into the California afternoon.

  
'What's up, Santa Monica!' she yelled out into the open air, prompting an overreaction from Alison.

  
'Sarah, get down from there this instant!' she demanded, grabbing Sarah's arm and pulling her back.

  
'Oi, get off me, Alison', Sarah swatted her sister's hand away and climbed down, heavy black boots hitting the floor with a loud thump.

  
'Sestra Alison is mad already', Helena said quietly. She stood in the doorway, still, like a rabbit in the headlights, unsure of what to do. Instead, she assessed Cosima's apartment.

  
'You have nice home, sestra', she told Cosima.

  
'Helena, you realise it hasn't changed since last time you were here?' she responded.

  
Sarah and Alison continued to fight by the window.

  
Cosima rubbed her temples. It was going to be a long weekend.

'So how's life, Cos? The industry treating you good?' Sarah asked as she leaned back into the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, twisting a strand of wavy hair around her finger.

'Great, actually. Did you speak to Felix yet?'

  
'No, I'm going down to the coffeehouse later. But he's been telling me _everything_ that's going down with this movie and Delphine Cormier', she smirked. Sarah was intentionally trying to make her sister uncomfortable, and it was working.

  
'I still can't believe you're working with Delphine Cormier, Cosima! What an incredible actress!' Alison exclaimed excitedly.

Alison often fancied herself a drama critic, but Sarah mocked her for 'being pretentious'. Alison was a good actress herself, but whereas Cosima acted on the screen, Alison was born for the stage.

  
'So when do we get to meet her?' Alison asked.

  
'No way, Alison, you're not going anywhere near her', Sarah teased her sister.

  
'And why is that?'

  
'Because you're too much of a fan. You're gonna embarrass Cos'.

  
Alison gasped in horror. 'Cosima, are you embarrassed of me?'  


'No, Alison, and Sarah, shut up. If you two are just gonna argue all the time, why did you even come out here?'

  
'To see our darling sister, the fabulous Miss Niehaus', Sarah used Felix's nickname while throwing her arms round Cosima's shoulders and pulling her into a hug. 'Soon, she's gonna be super rich and buy us loads of stuff, right Helena?'

  
'Sarah!' Alison snapped as Helena giggled.

  
'Well, that's just perfect', Cosima said, her voice thick with sarcasm.

  
Cosima's cell phone lit up with a new text message. She pushed her glasses further up her nose and reached over Sarah's lap to retrieve it.

  
Her sisters looked at her expectantly. Cosima read the text, then looked up.

  
'Shit. It's Delphine, she's on her way up'.

  
Sarah sat up straight, as though a light bulb had flicked on inside her brain, and a mischievous grin broke across her face. Before Cosima could get up to go open the door, Sarah snatched the glasses off her sister's face and shoved them onto her own, running clumsily towards the door, struggling to see through the lenses.

  
'Sarah, don't!' Cosima groaned, but she was already opening the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Delphine arrived at Cosima's apartment and knocked quietly on the white wooden door, running a hand through her hair, which she had left in natural curls today.

After just a few seconds, it swung open, startling Delphine.

  
'Hey, what's up?'

  
Delphine blinked.

The woman at the door had her thick wavy hair tied back in a loose ponytail, but no dreadlocks. Her American accent sounded forced and unnatural, and she wore a Ramones tee with tight black jeans. The blonde realised almost instantly, remembering everything Cosima had told her about her sisters.

  
'Sarah', she smiled smugly.

  
'Dammit!' Sarah ripped Cosima's glasses off and handed them back to her as she hurried over to greet Delphine.

  
'Hey!' she smiled as Delphine kissed her on the cheek.  
'Oh my goodness! It's Delphine!' Alison cried, running over and throwing her arms around the French actress. She giggled in surprise, and Cosima mouthed 'sorry' to her behind her sister's back.

  
Alison released her eventually. 'I'm Alison, you've met Sarah, and that's Helena over there', she pointed to the blonde sister who was still sitting on the couch in silence.

  
'It is great to meet you all, finally. Cosima has told me a lot about you'.

  
'Then you'll know not to take it personally when Sarah tries to prank you. She pulls that stunt on everyone when we're all together'.

  
'What? Sorry for trying to have a little fun', Sarah said sarcastically.

  
Delphine giggled, before turning to her friend.

  
'Cosima, I need to talk to you, can we -'

  
'Oh, yeah sure, come on', Cosima took Delphine's hand and led her out into the corridor, shutting the door behind her and leaving Alison and Sarah bickering in her lounge.

  
'You didn't tell me your sisters were visiting'.

  
'Yeah, they flew in last night. It was kind of a surprise when Alison called asking me to pick them up from LAX', Cosima laughed. 'That's my sisters. Full of surprises. Anyway, what did you want to tell me?'

  
Delphine took a deep breath and stared at the floor. 'Paul and I broke up last night'.

  
'Oh my God, Delphine, I'm so sorry', said Cosima, putting a hand on Delphine's arm and looking up at her in concern.

  
'Don’t worry about me, ma chérie. It was the right time for me to end it. It was very difficult, though, to see him that way. I felt so awful'.

  
'You know you could have called me last night, right?'

  
'Vous êtes si gentils, Cosima. I just needed to be alone afterwards. But I know I have made the right decision. We are not the same people as we were once'.

  
Cosima shrugged. 'Sometimes you have to set yourself free, even if that means hurting the other person. You feel good though, right?'

  
'Yes, I’m okay. Much better now I have talked to you'.

  
Cosima's face lit up at the compliment, and pulled Delphine into a hug.

  
Delphine leaned her head on Cosima's shoulder and held her, the smaller woman's warm body melting into her own. She was so grateful to have her.

 

* * *

 

 

Delphine spent the afternoon with Cosima and her sisters. Alison asked questions constantly, Sarah making the occasional sarcastic remark at Alison's expense, and Helena gazing in awe at Delphine's beautiful golden curls.

  
She left around four, having a meeting to attend. Cosima and Delphine hugged at the door, and Delphine planted a kiss on Cosima's cheek, lingering a little longer than she should have. She could have stayed there forever, Cosima gazing up into her eyes. So close to each other. But she knew better.

Cosima closed the door behind her and turned around, preparing to face whatever criticisms her sisters intended to throw at her.

  
'You love her!' Sarah pointed out loudly, as if she had just made a huge discovery.

  
'Was I that obvious?' Cosima asked worriedly, biting her fingernail.

  
'No, it's not that, it's just that we know you too well by now. And I haven't seen you that happy since Shay'.

  
Cosima cringed at the memory.

  
'But you know it can't work, Cosima', Alison chipped in.

  
'I know that', the actress sighed. 'But it's not like I asked for this to happen. I won't apologise for my heart. It wants what it wants, and I want Delphine. I know I can't have her, but I doesn't make me love her any less'.

  
Cosima joined Alison on the couch, who pulled her sister closer with an arm around her shoulder. Sarah began to pace around the room. She looked around as if trying to draw inspiration.

'Okay, Cos, we've got two options. Option one is that you tell her you love her. You've gotta remember, she just broke up with her boyfriend and probably isn't into girls, so you've gotta consider losing her as a friend if it doesn't work out, which is very possible. And option two is that you back off for a bit. Get some perspective. Give yourself some time to think things through'.

  
Cosima listened attentively to Sarah's advice. Alison was nodding in agreement, but she still awaited the contribution of another sister. Helena was sat at the breakfast bar with a huge bar of chocolate in front of her.

  
'Helena, what do you think?'

  
The blonde sister thought for a moment. 'She is cute like puppy', she said in her heavy accent.

  
'Helena, how does that help me in any way?'

  
Helena just shrugged. She broke off a chunk of chocolate and shoved it into her mouth. Cosima glared at her before turning back to Sarah.

  
'Okay, I'll back off. You're right, maybe if we just stay apart for a little while it would be better for both of us'.

  
It hurt for Cosima to tell herself this, but it had to be done. She loved Delphine, but she couldn't risk their friendship. Although she knew that staying away from the French woman would be harder than she could imagine.

 


	8. Chapter 8

_4 months, 3 weeks_

Delphine checked her phone for the third time in five minutes. Still nothing. She sighed in frustration, leaning back into her chair.

  
Cosima hadn't spoken to her since she had spent the afternoon at her apartment with her sisters over two weeks ago.

  
The pair usually went out for coffee after filming was done for the day, shopping in the city or for dinner at whichever cosy little restaurant Cosima picked out. They hung out every day. They had been inseparable since the first few weeks.

  
So why was Cosima ignoring her?

  
She wouldn't answer her calls. On set, she was quiet, mostly keeping to herself. When shooting, their scenes together lacked their usual spark, and off-camera the American would make up excuses to avoid going out.

  
Delphine retraced her steps through every conversation they'd had at her apartment. Was it something she'd said? Did she upset Cosima without realising it?  
Delphine scrolled through her messages. Her conversations with the American had become one-sided. Countless unanswered messages lined the right side of the screen, taunting her.

Delphine's schedule was empty today, but she knew that Cosima would be on set filming some of her scenes with the other characters. She decided she would play it cool, so she bought a tray of lattes from Felix's coffeehouse (not so subtly asking about Cosima while she was there) and headed to the studios.

  
Making her way quietly to the set, she saw they were on a break, and spotted Tony across the room. Handing Scott a coffee as she passed, she hurried over to meet the director.

  
'Hey, Del, what are you doing here?' Tony grinned as she kissed him on the cheek.

  
'Just bringing some coffee for my favourite director', she replied brightly.

  
Her eyes scanned the room, but Cosima was nowhere in sight.

'How was your morning?' Tony asked.

  
'It was nice', Delphine replied. 'I just sat around, reading, watching television, that sort of thing. What about here, is everything going well?'

  
'Yeah, it's going great actually. We're ahead of schedule, which is awesome, we still have the final few scenes to shoot, and a few odd ones to fill here and there, but it's not far to the finishing line now', Tony gushed excitedly.

  
'That is excellent', Delphine replied in a monotone voice, eyes still wandering, head spinning round from one direction to another.

  
'Yeah, it's been - you're not here to see me, are you?' Tony eyed her quizzically, folding his arms.

  
Delphine sighed. So much for playing it cool. 'Have you seen Cosima?'  


'I knew it! And yeah, she left a couple minutes ago'.  


'She left? Did she say where she was going?'  


Tony shrugged. 'Home, I assume'.  


'Great. Thanks, Tony', Delphine said as she picked up her bag and hurried over to the exit, sandals slapping on the floor as she ran.

  
'Anytime, Del', he shook his head in amusement as he watched her race out the door.

 

* * *

 

 

'Cosima', she heard a voice behind her, recognisable instantly by the foreign pronunciation of her name, the one Cosima always found so endearing.

  
_Crap! Delphine had found her._

  
She paused for a moment in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to see the other woman.

  
She looked more beautiful than ever; her wavy hair, longer now than when they first met, framing every perfect detail of her face, red lips curling up into a delicate smile, a black and white skater dress that hung loosely off her slim frame, showing slender limbs and tanned skin.

She had spotted her at the studio before, so she knew this wasn't just a coincidental meeting. Cosima had been followed all the way to the Santa Monica beachfront by this beautiful woman, her human sunshine, who clearly wanted to see her. She almost cracked and ran into Delphine's arms, but her sisters' advice kept replaying in her head like a broken record.

  
'Oh, hey, Delphine', she said casually, as if she was unsurprised to see her.

  
'I was looking for you at the studios'.

  
'Huh, I must have missed you', Cosima shrugged.

  
'Is there something wrong, ma chérie? You have not been acting like yourself', Delphine said as she tilted her head to one side.

  
'Yeah, I'm fine. I just have things to do. I guess I'll be heading home. See you around, Delphine', she muttered, spinning around on her heel to continue on her way.

  
Delphine bit her lip as she watched the American walk away. She couldn't just let her leave without an explanation.

  
'Are you avoiding me?'

  
Cosima stopped dead in the sidewalk. Her heart broke as she heard the hurt in Delphine's voice. _Stay strong_ , she told herself.

  
'No, I've just been really busy', Cosima lied.

  
Delphine folded her arms. 'I don't believe you'.

  
'Then don't. It's not my problem', Cosima snapped. _Why was she making this so difficult?_

  
Delphine stepped back and ran a hand through her curls before turning back to look Cosima straight in the eye.

  
'Cosima, please talk to me', her voice cracked as she spoke, a lump rising in her throat. 'You have not spoken to me in weeks. Did I do something wrong? One day, we are best friends, and the next, you stop answering my calls, texts … you just cut me out completely'.

  
'It's for the best. Trust me'.

  
'Why? What are you so afraid of?' the blonde cried in frustration.

  
And, just like that, Cosima snapped. Her icy facade crumbled.

  
'I'm in love with you, Delphine', she cried, tears spilling from her eyes, shining beneath her glasses.

  
Delphine blinked, taken aback by Cosima's confession. Hearing those words, unexpected as they were, sent a surge of happiness coursing through her body.

  
'Cosima -'

  
'No, Delphine', Cosima cut her off, hiding her face in her hands. 'I know, I've ruined everything. I tried to stay away from you, to make it go away, but I can't stop loving you'.

  
Delphine stepped forwards, tears falling from her own eyes now, and took Cosima's hand, pulling it away so she could tell her face to face.

  
'And I have loved you, Cosima, from the moment I saw you’, she told her earnestly, holding Cosima’s hand against her chest, against her racing heart. ‘I didn’t know it back then. And when Paul came back, I started to realise it. When I ended the relationship, I told him I loved someone else'.

  
Cosima stopped her sobbing, though silent tears still rimmed her eyes. She stared at Delphine in amazement.

  
'This whole time?'

  
The French woman nodded.

  
They fell silent for a moment.

'Well, that changes things', Cosima laughed, wiping tears from her cheeks.

  
'It was awful when you didn't speak to me. I thought you hated me. It seems very silly now', Delphine chuckled to herself.

  
'I'm sorry I did that. You know, I thought about you all the time. It took everything I had not to pick up the phone'. The brunette began to cry again. 'I've just wanted you for so long. You don't understand how happy it makes me to hear you tell me you love me'.

  
Delphine stepped closer to Cosima, caressing her cheek as she wiped away an eyeliner-stained tear with her thumb. She felt Cosima's arms encircle her waist and pull her closer. Delphine leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

The women forgot about the world that continued around them and remained frozen in their own little perfect moment, holding each other, heads pressed together.  
Reality seized them once again as they drew apart, fingers still intertwined between them, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Passers-by glared at the actresses in annoyance, swerving around them as they continued on their journey.

  
'People are staring at us', Delphine giggled, blushing.

  
'Come on, let's go home', Cosima pulled the blonde along playfully.

  
'On va chez toi ou chez moi? Your place or mine?'

 

* * *

 

 

Cosima spent the evening in her apartment, lying in Delphine's lap, watching the sun sink below the window, warm rays of gold shining into the room and throwing light onto the French woman's face, making her eyes sparkle. Two large glasses of wine lay on the coffee table and soft music drifted from the record player in the corner. Delphine twisted her fingers in Cosima's dreadlocks, feeling the soft material of her wine coloured dress against her legs.

  
The American finished telling a story about her last trip to Canada to see her sisters.

  
'So, yeah, it was pretty eventful. The worst part was that I was surrounded by families and couples; Alison, Donnie with Gemma and Oscar, Sarah, Cal and Kira, and Helena and Jesse. And then there was just me', she laughed. 'I had just broken up with my ex, so Alison spent the whole week mothering me. I love my sisters, but they can be unbearable sometimes'.

  
'I'm sure they mean well', Delphine smiled.

  
'What about you? You have any siblings?'

  
'No, I am an only child'.

  
'Huh', Cosima's smile faltered.

  
'What is it?'

  
'I just realised I know nothing about your past'.

  
'I don't really talk about it much'.

  
Cosima got up slightly, leaning back on her elbows, looking at the blonde quizzically. 'Why not?'

  
Delphine shook her head. 'There is not really anything to tell'.

  
'Oh, come on. You know my story, crazy as it is. There must be something'.

  
'Okay', Delphine looked out the window as if searching for memories to share. 'I didn't grow up in Paris, but I went to a boarding school there when I was very young. My parents and I didn't really get on. They were scientists, and always busy with work. They didn't pay much attention to me. I was a very lonely child. I did not have many friends at school, so I dedicated myself to learning. I was very passionate about science, biology especially. I suppose I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my parents. And then I was found by a modelling agency, and that's how I got into acting. At the beginning, I loved it. I could escape from my own crappy life. But it never really fulfilled me. Then I met Paul, and that helped for a while, but we started to drift apart'. A smile broke across Delphine's face. 'And then I met you, and everything is better now'.

  
'Okay, wow. You've been through some stuff, Delphine', Cosima said, eyes wide with curiousity.

  
'The ending is good though, non?'

  
Cosima grinned and sat up straight, leaning in to kiss Delphine, sliding her arms around her neck, lips meeting, fingers combing through her hair, while the taller woman wrapped slender arms around her waist. She tasted like red wine and she felt the blonde's lips curl into a smile between every soft kiss.

  
'I love you, Delphine'.

  
'Je t'aime, Cosima'.

 


	9. Chapter 9

_5 months, 2 weeks_

'She got an A in her science test today', Sarah said proudly, kissing her daughter on the top of her head. 'She's gonna be a nerd when she's older, just like Aunt Cosima, yeah, monkey?'

  
'Oh, don't listen to her, Kira, your mom's just jealous 'cause science is awesome and she's no good at it', Cosima told her niece. Though acting was her passion, she had always excelled in science class in high school and took a real interest in the subject.

  
Kira nodded in response, giggling.

Cosima sat in her apartment, the faces of her sister and niece smiling at her from her laptop screen.

  
There was a knock at the door, and Cosima jumped up to answer it, telling Sarah to hold on a moment.

  
'Hey, beautiful!' Cosima grinned when she saw Delphine at the doorway, hair ruffled by the wind, taking her sunglasses off the top of her head and stuffing them into her purse.

  
'Good afternoon, mon amour', Delphine entered, kissing Cosima softly on the lips as she passed her.

  
'Get a room!' Sarah yelled, startling Delphine. The French woman looked around the room in confusion, until her eyes landed on Sarah's smiling face and waving hands on Cosima's laptop.

  
'Oh, hey, Sarah', she waved back with elegantly manicured fingers.

  
She threw her purse on the sofa and shrugged off her denim jacket, revealing a floaty white strappy top and a simple silver necklace with a crescent moon pendant hanging around her neck.

  
'I'll leave you to it, Cos' Sarah said to her sister. 'I'll call you soon. Love you'.

  
'Love you too. Bye, Kira!'

  
'Bye, Aunt Cosima!' the little girl waved.

  
Cosima shut the laptop with a loud snap and turned to the blonde.

  
'Have you heard from Tony yet?' Delphine asked.

  
'No. Why?' Cosima tilted her head to one side in curiousity.

  
Delphine grinned excitedly. 'We are filming in San Francisco for a couple of days! We leave on Saturday!'

  
Cosima's eyes widened and she jumped up and down in excitement, dreadlocks bouncing around her shoulders, taking Delphine's hands in her own.

  
'This is so exciting!' she shrieked. 'I haven't been up there in months! Delphine, you will love San Francisco! I'm gonna take you to all the best places. And I can show you where I grew up!' Cosima couldn't keep the grin from her face.

  
Delphine found the American's excitement both endearing and amusing. She leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss, wrapping her arms around her waist, pulling her in closer.

  
'What was that for?' Cosima giggled as they drew apart.

  
'I could not help myself. You are even more beautiful when you smile like that'.

 

* * *

 

 

'You two have the best job ever', Felix complained as he slid an iced tea over the counter into Cosima's waiting hands. 'Getting paid to travel and 'work'. Cosima, the only work you'll be doing is working hard to get Delphine to put up with how annoying you are'.

  
'Hey!' Cosima threw a paper straw at him. 'I'm not annoying!'

  
'Six hours on the road with you? I feel sorry for you, Delphine'.

  
The French woman giggled.

  
'And here I was, thinking you were gonna miss me too much', Cosima rolled her eyes.

  
'I'm kidding, darling, of course I'll miss you. I don't think this coffeehouse would survive without you and your iced tea addiction. What are you doing in San Francisco anyway?'

  
'We're only there for four days. A long journey up there, a bit of sexy time on set - and off it', Cosima winked at Delphine.

  
Felix made mock gagging gestures. 'Urgh, can you not, Cosima'.

  
'What? We're getting a fancy hotel room, and I intend to spend most of my time in it with this beautiful lady'.

  
'You are very cheeky, Cosima', Delphine shook her head, laughing. 'But that sounds wonderful'.

  
'Sooo freakin' cute', Katja mocked, rolling her eyes, overhearing them from the other end of the counter. Cosima stuck her tongue out in reply.

  
'Well, what are you filming?' Felix asked.

  
'The final scenes', Delphine replied.

  
'And what happens?'

  
Cosima shook her head. 'Can't tell you'.

  
'Oh, come on!' Felix groaned.

  
'No way, I signed a contract. I already told you the summary. You're allowed to hear that'.

  
'Enlighten me again, Cos'.

  
Cosima finished a sip of iced tea and began. 'Well, these two super hot scientists, Carey and Amélie, work at this big institution called DYAD, and they kinda stumble upon some plans for a cloning experiment', Cosima explained, hands moving wildly as she spoke. 'Top secret, illegal, super dangerous, all that. Anyway, the director of DYAD, this real creepy guy called Leekie, finds out that Carey and Amélie know about the plan, and has assassins chase them across the country'.

  
Felix nodded. 'So, will there be some badass lesbians kicking ass along the way?'

  
'Maybe', Cosima smirked, taking a sip of her drink.

  
Felix laughed. 'Check out Cophine, going all tough on us'.

  
'What is Cophine?' Delphine asked, confused.

  
'It's your ship name, darling, keep up', Felix retorted, his words heavy with sass as he leaned on the counter.

  
Cosima snorted. She was still getting used to the fact that her dating Delphine was now public knowledge. And thanks to Felix's love of trashy gossip magazines, Cosima knew everything the media said about them. Mostly, it was just photos of the two holding hands while walking in the streets of Hollywood. In a weird way, Cosima almost liked the attention - she wanted the whole world to know that Delphine was hers.

  
Delphine still looked as confused as ever.

  
'Ship name?'

  
Cosima laughed and rested a hand on the blonde's arm. The rings on her fingers were cool against Delphine's skin.

  
'I'll explain later', she assured her.

 

* * *

 

 

Just a few blocks from her old neighbourhood, Cosima recited her lines in her head, preparing to film the final scene of 'Project Leda'. She let her mind go blank, then focused on Carey, inviting the character to fill her head. But it was difficult to concentrate when Delphine stood next to her, the cool breeze combing through her hair, soft red lips smiling down at her, hazel eyes meeting hers. Cosima's heart raced at the sight.

  
Her eyes flickered down to her own outfit; a loose-fitting light blue top, dark denim skinny jeans and white wedge sandals. It made her feel more in character, as it wasn't her usual style. Delphine told her she looked beautiful anyway.

'Okay, guys, this is the last one. Scott, we good?' Tony looked to Scott, who nodded in return, headset on, eyes fixed on the camera screen in concentration.

  
'Alright, Cosima, Delphine, you ready?'

  
The actresses nodded.

  
'Okay, we're all set. Project Leda, final scene, take one. Action!' he yelled, followed by the sharp snap of the clapboard.

  
The first four takes were cut short by technical difficulties, or on one occasion, Cosima breaking down in a fit of laughter for no apparent reason. But the fifth take was magic.

Carey and Amélie walked hand in hand down the street, facing away from the camera. Sunlight flickered between them, making the two women blurred silhouettes against the warm orange glow. The camera panned around to reveal their glowing faces, squinting in the sun.

  
'It's beautiful here, huh?' Carey observed.

  
'Oui, it is. But … different', came Amélie's reply.

  
'I know. I get it'.

  
Amélie stopped for a moment, looking straight down the street before them. Trams passed by in the road, and rows of houses and apartments towered at the sides.

  
'Carey, I am truly sorry about everything. I'm sorry I found that stupid file and I'm sorry I dragged you into all this'. The blonde shook her head in distress.

  
'You know I don't blame you for any of it', Amélie said. 'I'm sorry I made you make those hard decisions, and then blamed you for them. But I wanna move on from all that. It's weird to think, huh? Looking back to last year. We had just started working together. Our future was so bright. But none of that matters anymore’.

'You really think we can be happy here, after everything we've lost?'

  
The brunette ran a hand through her dreadlocks. 'We’re safe now. DYAD’s finished, we don’t have to run anymore. I know this isn’t the life we wanted, I know we have nothing here and I know we probably won’t be allowed near a lab again, after everything Leekie said about us. But we can make the best of it. I’ve got you, and you’re all I need. So yeah, I think we can be happy’.

  
'Maybe you’re right. We don’t need high-flying careers. We don’t need to know this city. We can make it feel like home one day, no matter how long it takes. We don’t need anyone else. I never trusted anyone but you anyway’.

  
The two walked on, camera watching them from behind, joined hands swinging between them.

  
'Cut!'

It was better than Tony had imagined, and he congratulated Delphine and Cosima on their work. But, when the relationship of the two characters mirrored their own, they didn't even have to act. The love between them wasn't fictional, not anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

The Golden Gate Bridge soared high above the pink clouds of the sunset, touching the darkening blue above, and the women could see it from the top of the hill, where they sat barefoot in the grass. Delphine gazed in awe, while Cosima found comfort and happiness in the landmark that reminded her of the happy childhood she had spent in the city.

But it also served to show her how far she had come; moving to LA, becoming an actor, struggling to make ends meet, taking any acting job she could to pay the rent, then eventually getting a major role in an independent movie and being recognised for her talent.

  
Cosima turned to her girlfriend.

  
'You know, Delphine, do you ever just wonder how you got where you are today? I mean, I look at this view, and I remember home. And I think of my childhood; being a nerdy kid at school, joining science club, summer camp, skateboarding in the street with my friends from middle school, and my job at McDonald's when I was sixteen. And when I told people I wanted to be an actor, they laughed in my face. I remember being close with my parents, and their disapproval when I told them about my plans to move to LA. Then they pretty much cut me off altogether when they found out I was in love with a girl. So, when I moved south, I had nothing. I lived in this shitty apartment and I had no money and I couldn't get any work. I was so close to giving up and moving back home. All these things that have happened, and somehow I got lucky enough to be sat right here, on this beautiful evening, with you by my side. And I think; I wouldn't change a thing'.

  
Delphine listened intently, studying the brunette, smiling at every word that left her lips. In that moment, she was more in love than she ever thought she could be.

  
'And I am happy that everything has worked the way it has, Cosima. It makes you think, non? That every moment in my life, every tiny thing, has led me to this one. And there's nowhere I'd rather be'.

 


	10. Chapter 10

_6 months, 2 weeks_

In a classy bar in Hollywood, the cast and crew of 'Project Leda' gathered to listen to Tony's speech, reminiscent of the one he had made before shooting had begun, on the day that Cosima met Delphine.

  
'This movie has been hard work, but it'll all pay off, I know it! I can't thank you all enough for everything you've done', he finished. 'There's still a long way to go with post-production, and of course we have the premiere and all that excitement to look forward to. But for now?' He raised his champagne glass, everyone in the room joining him. 'That's a wrap! And let's get this party started!'

  
Everyone cheered in celebration as music kicked in, pumping out of the speakers on the walls. It was late evening, and the world was dark outside the windows. The bar looked like an old train tunnel, with a curved ceiling and brick walls lined with retro neon lights in the shape of colourful cocktails and wine bottles. The dance floor filled with people, beams of golden light thrown at them, moving between them as they danced.

Filming was finished, and Cosima was both elated and devastated; elated, because everyone had worked so hard, and spending almost every day in the studio and travelling California on location shoots had paid off. But devastated, because it meant Delphine would soon have to return to France.

 

_Delphine was smoking at the side of the building again. Whenever Cosima couldn't find her, she knew where to go._

_Sure enough, the French woman was there, smoking a cigarette, wearing a navy and white striped top with dark blue shorts and black ballet flats. Her golden hair was straightened again, falling much further down her back now that the curls were gone._

  
_'Hey, beautiful', she grinned. She examined the blonde's outfit._ _'You look very French today', she added, which sent Delphine into hysterical laughter._  


_'Your American stereotypes are so funny!', she exclaimed._

  
_'Fine, I'll try again. You look very_ sexy _today', Cosima responded with a smug grin._  


_'Cheeky', Delphine giggled, as Cosima reached up for a kiss. The blonde returned it eagerly._

  
_'So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?' Cosima asked._

  
_'Oui. I just got off the phone with Jennifer. I've just been offered the lead in an upcoming film back in France', she explained._

  
_'Delphine, that's awesome', Cosima flung her arms around the taller woman. 'Congratulations! You said yes, right? Are you excited?'_

  
_'Yes, it is an amazing opportunity', she smiled as they released each other from their embrace. 'It is a great honour because they asked for me personally! It might be my biggest role yet'._

  
_'So, it's being filmed in France?'_

  
_'Partially, yes. But it will involve a lot of travelling it seems, to Canada and Australia and England'._

  
_'That's incredible! I'm so happy for you!' Cosima embraced her again, but this time holding her tighter, as though she might slip away at any moment._

 

After a few hours at the party and a few too many mojitos, Cosima and Delphine left, hand in hand, the midnight air warm against their skin. The street was still full of people, women in tight dresses and killer heels, men in cool shirts and smart trousers. The sound of traffic and laughter drifted through the air.

  
'There's a taxi rank just around the corner', Cosima told Delphine, but when they got there, it was only another row of restaurants and not a taxi in sight.

  
Cosima burst out laughing, pulling Delphine along by the hand until the French woman fell off the kerb, stumbling in her Louboutins. Cosima reached out to catch her, and Delphine fell into her arms, laughing hysterically.

  
'Okay, we have had _way_ too much to drink', Cosima slurred, her eyes streaming.  
Delphine hooked her arms around Cosima's neck, holding her close, rocking from side to side, eyes closed.

  
'Cosima, I just want to go to your apartment and make out with you all night', she giggled.

  
'Oh yeah?’ Cosima grinned flirtatiously. 'That sounds perfect'. She nuzzled into the blonde's neck, one of Delphine's arms encircling her waist while the other combed through her dreadlocks.

After wandering around the block, Cosima still couldn't find the taxi rank. Cocktails had robbed her of any sense of direction and she quickly gave up.

  
'Okay, I'm calling Katja', she decided, pulling out her cell phone.

  
'She will be sooo angry with us!' Delphine gasped, before forgetting about Katja and pulling Cosima's hand, leading her back to the bar.

  
'Shh, Delphine', she laughed, pulling back with one arm, the other holding her cell to her ear. 'We're not going back to the party - Hey, Katja! Yeah, I know it's late; we need a ride home; yeah, we're in Hollywood, at the bar I told you about; thanks, dude! I owe you one! Later!' She hung up the phone.

  
'Katja's picking us up', Cosima sighed with relief. 'So, I guess we just wait here'.

  
Delphine nodded, taking Cosima's hand again, and the two began to walk slowly down the street, dim, colourful lights shining on them as they passed the doorways of the restaurants and bars.

  
The actresses, in their drunken state, were still laughing wildly at nothing when they were caught off guard by the bright flashes of cameras nearby.

  
'Merde', Delphine muttered as she covered her eyes, blinded for a moment by the bright white light.

  
Two paparazzi photographers, a man and a woman, held their cameras in front of their faces as Cosima heard the snaps of the camera, capturing the images.

  
'Hey, dude, you're blinding my girlfriend', Cosima laughed.

  
'Sorry', the photographer looked up from behind the camera. 'You girls look beautiful tonight'.

  
'Why, thank you' Cosima gasped, smoothed out her patterned skater dress and twirled in mock arrogance. The photographers laughed.

  
Delphine gazed at the shorter woman in awe. Cosima just didn't care; seeing her act so naturally in front of the paparazzi and handling it so well was incredible to watch. Delphine was always so awkward in these situations. She was thankful that her girlfriend was by her side, holding her hand as if everything was normal.

Sitting down on a kerb across the street, Delphine looked over at the American, who was pulling off her sandals.

  
'Do you always act like that in front of the paparazzi?'

  
'Yeah. It's just part of the job, that's the way I see it anyway. So I've learned not to let it bother me'.

  
'Huh'.

  
Cosima looked up, searching Delphine's eyes for a clue of her feelings.

  
'Did that upset you? I'm sorry, we should have just left straight away-'

  
'No, ma chérie, it is not that. I just … I admire the way you handle all this. How you are so comfortable in front of the cameras'.

  
'I'm used to it now, I suppose', Cosima shrugged. 'It's kind of Hollywood culture. I'm just thankful I didn't fall over in front of them. Can you imagine the captions? 'Cosima Niehaus, the clumsy, wasted actress'’.

  
Delphine chuckled. 'It’s different in France. People do not bother me as much'.

  
Cosima's smile faded at the mention of Delphine's home.

  
'I can't believe you have to leave next week'.

  
'Don't remind me', Delphine smiled sadly. She had been considering this thought herself, and it tore her apart, knowing that she was leaving Cosima.

  
'It'll be weird, not seeing you', Cosima said. 'Not getting to take you to dinner, or have you come over to my place. Not getting to see that smile every day'. She swallowed, a lump rising in her throat, her emotions taking hold at a rapid speed. 'You'll be travelling around, busy filming all the time, living half way across the world'. She paused. 'Slowly, we'll lose touch. I'll see you at the premiere, but it won't be the same. Who knows. Maybe you'll even meet someone else'.

  
'Don't say that', Delphine whispered.

  
'But it's true, isn't it?’ Tears filled Cosima's eyes. 'We're not going to last, are we?'

  
Delphine knew that fighting the inevitably of the situation was futile.

  
She shook her head. 'No, I don't think we are'.

  
They huddled together on the sidewalk, crying in each other’s arms, waiting for Katja as both their hearts shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.

 

* * *

 

 

The morning brightness that streamed through her open window was like Cosima's alarm clock. The sunlight crept beneath her eyelids, forcing them open.

  
The brunette groaned, rolling over, reaching to the bedside table to retrieve her glasses. She pushed them further up the bridge of her nose, and everything swam into focus.

  
Cosima didn't want to wake up that morning. Staying asleep forever would be easier than facing today.

  
In one hour, she was driving Delphine to the airport.

The American went about her morning routine with a shroud of depression enveloping her; her coffee tasted bitter, the trashy morning television was more unbearable than usual, drawing on her eyeliner, an activity that had become second nature, was an impossible task. She kept smudging the outer corners. In a moment of frustration she rubbed fiercely at her eyes until black smears stained her eyelids and the bridge of her nose like a mask.

10 am. _Time to go._

  
Cosima turned to look at her apartment one last time before she left, sentimental, as if everything she saw would be changed when she returned.

 

* * *

 

 

The two actresses stopped outside check-in reluctantly, each too afraid to start speaking.

  
The car ride to the airport had involved awkward small talk and Delphine staring out the window in silence, pretending to admire her surroundings, making false statements such as 'I will miss the weather here' and 'Hollywood is much more interesting than Paris'. She didn't care about any of that stuff. There was only one thing she was going to miss, and that was the beautiful woman sitting across from her, eyes fixed on the road in concentration.

Now Cosima studied every detail of the French woman. She hadn’t styled her hair, and it was a natural wild mane of curls. She wore little make-up, emphasising her natural beauty. Her outfit was simple; a red and white checked shirt tucked into ripped denim shorts, worn-out white flip flops and a pair of sunglasses on the top of her head. Even without making any effort, she was the most beautiful woman Cosima had ever seen. She memorised everything from the faded tan lines on her arms to the the curl of her lips as she smiled; Cosima didn't want to lose this picture.

'So. I guess this is it', Cosima made the first move.

  
'Yes, I suppose so. Thank you for driving me here'.

  
'Anytime', the American smiled.

  
They paused for a moment, each woman looking at the ground as if searching for the words.

  
'Cosima', Delphine began, capturing the brunette's attention as she looked up nervously, eyes meeting hers. 'You are the best friend I've ever had, and even though I only got to call you my girlfriend for a few months, those memories are so important to me'. Already, her eyes shone with tears and her voice cracked as she spoke.

  
'Thank you for making me feel so welcome, in your home and in your city. Thank you for all the advice you gave me, and being the last push I needed to get out if my relationship with Paul. Thank you for all the times you threatened to punch guys who hit on me in bars and then made out with me in front of them'.

  
'What can I say, I'm the jealous type', Cosima laughed through her tears.

  
'And thank you for loving me the way I love you. Because I haven't felt this way in a long time. I am grateful for every single moment I have shared with you'.

  
Cosima's tears fell like a waterfall now, uncontrollably, and she wiped them away furiously with the back of her hand.

  
'Sorry, I'm such a mess!'

  
Delphine giggled, before taking Cosima's hand away from her face and kissing her softly on the lips. Cosima fell into her arms, holding the taller woman as though she could never let go.

  
'Delphine, I’m gonna miss you so much', Cosima sobbed against her chest.

  
'Don't worry, ma chérie, I will see you again at the end of the year. We still have the premiere. And I will call you, all the time', Delphine assured her, though both women knew that it wouldn't be the same.

  
'I'm sorry that our time together was so short. And I'm sorry that I have to leave'.

  
'Don't worry, I totally get it', Cosima told her. 'I could never stand in the way of your opportunities. You go, and have fun. Work hard. I understand, it's super important. Don't worry about me'.

  
The information of Delphine's flight sounded over the speakers.

  
'That's you, you better get going', Cosima smiled sadly.

  
Delphine reached down to kiss her one last time, lingering a few moments, before finally releasing her.

  
'Goodbye, Cosima. Thank you for everything'. The French woman turned to leave, heading towards the escalator, towing her suitcase behind her.

  
'Goodbye, Delphine', Cosima whispered, watching as the best thing that had ever happened to her disappeared out of sight.

 


	11. Chapter 11

_6 months, 4 weeks_

The icy wind bit at Cosima's skin as she waited outside, huddling further into her wine coloured wool coat. She heard her sister's voice on the other side of the door, shouting 'just a minute!' followed by a series of clattering sounds. The door swung open, warm air washing over her.

  
'Cosima!' Alison flung her arms around her sister and welcomed her inside.

  
'Hey, Alison', she greeted, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up by the door. 'Is everyone here?'

  
'Yes, they're all in the lounge, just go on through', Alison said, ushering her towards the lounge. She yelled up the winding staircase.

‘Kids! Aunt Cosima's here!'  


'Hey, Cos!' she was greeted by her family as she entered. Donnie, Cal and Jesse sat on the sofa, beer in hand, watching a football game on television. Sarah and Helena were sat chatting on the opposite sofa, gossiping over glasses of red wine. Helena jumped up and hugged her sister, playing with her dreadlocks as she always did, and as Cosima sat down, Sarah put her arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

  
'Aunt Cosima!' she heard excited voices as three small figures jumped on top of her.

  
'Hey guys! Did you miss me?' Cosima grinned.

  
Kira, Gemma and Oscar nodded, and Alison entered the room, handing Cosima a glass of wine, which she eagerly accepted.

  
Alison sat down on the coffee table opposite where Cosima was sitting, and put a hand on her sister's arm, a sympathetic smile etched across her face.

  
'How are you feeling, Cosima?'

  
'Um, fine, I guess. I started to feel a little sick on the plane, but I'm okay now', she replied, confused by Alison's worry.

  
'No, I don't mean that. How are you doing without Delphine?'

  
'Oh, come on', Cosima threw up her arms in despair. 'I literally only just got here. Already you're starting with the pity party?'

She looked over at Sarah for support, but the British sister was trying to hide her laughter, giving Cosima a 'rather-you-than-me' kind of look. Sarah clearly understood the annoyance of Alison's maternal nature.

  
'I'm worried about you, Cosima', Alison said. 'She's been gone for a month, and you've barely spoken to any of us in that time'.

  
'Is Delphine your girlfriend?' Kira asked.

  
'She was, but she left. She had to go home', Cosima explained.

  
'Where's her home?' Gemma piped up.

  
'She lives in France'.

  
'Woah! That's so far away', Oscar said, amazed.

  
'Tell me about it', Cosima sighed.

  
'Well, why did she have to go home?' Gemma asked.

  
'She's a very busy lady. She's an actress, like me, and she got a part in a big movie back in France. I didn't want to hold her back', Cosima told her.

  
'But you're not very happy about it', Kira observed.

Cosima chuckled to herself. She loved how her nieces and nephew were so young yet so understanding.

Delphine had been gone for a month, and Cosima was struggling to move on. It was unlike any break-up she'd experienced before. She felt as though Delphine had taken a piece of her heart with her when she left.

  
They had spoken on the phone a few times, but Delphine was always so busy, as Cosima had suspected. They were losing touch already, she could feel it.  
Cosima hated that their relationship was over so soon, but she knew letting Delphine go was the right thing to do, irrelevant of her own feelings. She could never live with herself if she prevented Delphine from taking the opportunity of a lifetime.

'No, Kira, I'm not happy about it', Cosima explained to her niece, 'but it doesn't mean it wasn't a good decision for her to go and for me to accept it. It's what's best for Delphine, you see?'

  
Kira nodded in understanding.

  
'Kids, go upstairs and play for a minute' Alison ordered, clapping her hands. 'We have to have a grown-up talk with Aunt Cosima'.

  
The children groaned, but crawled off the sofa anyway and shuffled out the door. They knew they could never win an argument against their mother.

'Cosima, you can fool the children, but you're not fooling us', Alison snapped. She spoke quietly, only for Cosima and Sarah to hear. The men were engrossed in the football game, and Helena was sat on Jesse's lap.

  
'Alison, leave it', Cosima groaned. 'It's happening again. You go into, like, full-on mother mode whenever I break up with someone. Don't feel sorry for me. You know I hate that'.

  
'Oh come on, Cosima, stop acting like nothing is wrong. You've never been this bad before'.

  
'Cos, you know I hate to agree with her, I really do, but she's right', Sarah joined in. 'Fe told me everything. He said you've barely left your apartment, you've stopped talking to anyone, you're not sleeping properly. Just talk to us, yeah?'

  
'We can help', Alison nodded.

  
Cosima thought for a moment, and decided to give in. She would never win this battle.

'Okay, fine', she snapped. 'Yes, I miss her every second of every day, and it hurts like a bitch to know that she wouldn't stay because of me. And I know someone like her wouldn't leave her home and her job behind just because of someone she'd been dating for a couple months. But, I thought, for a second there, we had something really special, and maybe she did love me enough to stay. It was stupid of me to think that. I got too wrapped up in my little fantasies. We were only together for such a short time, and I'm acting like we loved each other for years. But I love her, and I miss her, and I wonder if she ever loved me as much as I loved her. I know I'm overreacting and I'm glad she's not here to see how pathetic I am. But I just want her back'.

  
The words tumbled out of Cosima's mouth like lava from an erupting volcano. She had kept mostly to herself over the past month, and she had to admit, it felt good to finally share what she was feeling.

  
She exhaled, calming herself, and her sisters looked at her in sympathy.

  
'She did love you, Cos', Sarah began, 'as much as you loved her. I could tell, that afternoon we all hung out at your place. I've never seen you like that. And she looked at you like the sun shone out of your arse'.

  
Cosima smiled.

  
'I'm sorry it didn't work out. Really', Sarah said as she hugged her sister.

  
'I just wish I'd never met her', Cosima sighed.

All the sisters knew that wasn't true.

 

* * *

 

 

Paris in the late summer was special to Delphine. Years ago, she had finished boarding school in July and was about to start her biology course at university in October, and that summer, she moved into her first apartment in the city. It was one of the happiest times in her life. After years of loneliness and unhappiness at school, she was finally free to move on. She took comfort in her solitude, because she was alone but not lonely, and she embraced it. That year, the summer was hot and Delphine spent most of her evenings on the balcony of her tiny top-floor apartment, drinking coffee, reading, watching the sky turn from blue to pink to indigo, the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance.

  
Every summer since then, Delphine was reminded of how happy she could be when she was alone. It especially helped her when she and Paul were apart.  
But this year, as she wandered through the streets of her city, Delphine found herself unhappier than ever, neglecting her earlier beliefs. What was the use of this beautiful place when the one person she wanted to share it with was on the other side of the world?

  
She wore a violet dress and a forlorn expression. She ran her fingertips along the iron fencing that lined the riverbank, and stared down into the deep blue water of the Seine, watching the sunlight shimmer on the surface.

  
'Delphine?'

She heard a familiar voice behind her and whipped around.

  
'Paul? What are you doing here?' she asked as they greeted each other with an awkward hug.

  
'I'm only here for a few days, playing a show, and then I'm off home to New York for a couple months. We're recording an album'.

  
'That's amazing!' Delphine exclaimed.

  
'Yeah, it's pretty exciting for all of us. And, hey, what about you? I thought you were still in LA?'

  
'We finished shooting, and I got a call to star in a movie over here, so I came home. But I'm catching a flight to London next week for a location shoot'.

  
'You're back living here for good?' Paul asked.

  
Delphine nodded.

  
'Oh. That's, um … What about Cosima?'

  
The woman sighed. Of course Paul would find out.

  
'You know?' she asked, though the answer was obvious.

  
'Yeah, I saw the magazines. I was a little surprised at first', he laughed, scratching the back of his head. 'But then, when I thought about it, it seemed kinda obvious'.

  
'Why do you say that?'

  
Paul paused for a moment, searching for the words.

  
'When I came to LA, something was different about you. It was like you couldn't even stand to look at me or something. So I came to see you act. Tony let me watch from the back. And when I saw you with her … you came alive. It sounds stupid, I know, but it's true. Even just being her friend, you looked happier than you ever were with me. Honestly, I thought you would've stayed with her'.

  
Delphine was shocked by Paul's confession, though she was grateful for his honesty and for how comfortable he was to talk about Cosima.

  
'It was difficult to leave,' she admitted. 'But it's my job'.

  
Paul smirked and folded his arms. 'Remind you of anyone?'

  
Her heart sank as she realised, but she couldn't help but smile at the smug look on Paul's face.

  
'Merde', she muttered.

  
'Del, I left you for work, and I lost you. I know what it's like. You think you're ready to let Cosima go?'

  
Delphine thought for a moment, then shook her head slowly.

  
'You've been telling me for over a year, you're not happy in your career, but you still do it anyway', he told her. 'You're gonna give up on a chance at happiness for a job that you don't even care about?'

  
'Well, what else am I supposed to do?' Delphine complained. 'I can't just drop out. I have a life here, I have stability. I can't just give it all up. Can I?'

  
'Is she worth it?'

  
Delphine bit her lip, thinking it all through.

  
'Is she worth it?' Paul repeated.

  
'Yes'.

  
Paul smirked again. 'You forget, Delphine. I know you too well. You've gotta stop being afraid of what people will think and do what's right for you. People will be shocked if you quit this movie? Who cares? It's none of their damn business'.

  
There was a pause as the woman considered everything she had heard.

  
'I have to go back', Delphine realised, running a hand through her hair.

  
'Now we're getting somewhere!' Paul chuckled. 'Del, I gotta go, I have to be somewhere. But let me know, whatever you decide. It was good seeing you', he said earnestly.

He turned on his heel and walked a few steps away, before Delphine called his name to stop him. She couldn't let him go just like that. Never in a million years did she think Paul would be the final push she needed to take a leap of faith. His blessing and the sense of closure it had provided filled Delphine with optimism. But now she had to say goodbye.

'Paul, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her. And I'm sorry about the way it ended between us'.

  
'Don't be', Paul chuckled, turning back to face her. 'I was a real jerk to you when we were together. I would have done the same if I were you. And you and Cosima have a real shot. I'm happy for you, Del. Really'.

  
A smile spread across Delphine's face. It was as though they had taken a pair of scissors and severed some invisible rope that bound them together by the wrist. The painful memories of their relationship collected in Delphine's mind and, with Paul's words, she let them go. And she watched as they were carried away like petals in the wind, leaving only the good behind.

  
'Thank you, Paul. For everything'.

  
'See you around, Delphine', he smiled over his shoulder, and continued on his way.

  
She watched as the figure of him grew smaller, eventually fading into the distance.

She’d closed the door on her past. For the first time since she left LA, she felt truly free.

 


	12. Chapter 12

_7 months, 2 weeks_

Over half a year after the first time, Delphine found herself making the same trip from Paris to LA to see the same person. But this time she wasn't filled with bitterness and resentment, and she wasn't nervous to meet a co-star and a film crew. This time, she was returning to tell the love of her life that she wanted to be with her.

When the French actress announced that she was leaving the new movie, the cast and crew were shocked, as Delphine had expected. They asked her why, but she simply replied that she had somewhere she needed to be, and someone she needed to be with.

Delphine had bought a little apartment in Pasadena in a moment of spontaneity, and while making preparations for her move to California, she had received some exciting news that she couldn't wait to share with Cosima.

  
She acknowledged the possibility that the American had moved on and wouldn't want her back, but she knew she had made the right decision to quit her career, and she would keep fighting for Cosima, no matter what the next day would bring.

Cosima's uneventful evening was interrupted by an unexpected knock at the door that caused her to stop in her tracks.

  
She checked the black leather watch on her wrist. Seven fifteen. Over the past few weeks, she had stayed in alone almost every evening, drowning her sorrows in red wine and wallowing in misery. Felix called now and again, sometimes Katja, but she would tell them she wasn't feeling up for a night out, and by now they had given up.

  
So who wanted to see her now?

'Just a second', she called, and hurried over to the gold-framed mirror that hung by the door. She checked her eyeliner and smoothed out her amber crop top, before reaching out for the door handle.

  
Delphine stood at the other side of the door. Her wild golden hair was messy and untamed, her face was make-up free, and she wore a white cotton playsuit with lace detail on the short sleeves. Cosima thought she looked like an angel, and for a moment she questioned whether or not she was dreaming.

The American tried to play it cool. After all, she was still hurt by Delphine's leaving. But one smile from the French woman had her facade melting away, and a goofy grin spread across her face. _Damn you, Delphine, you are irresistible_ , Cosima thought to herself.

  
'Hey'.

  
'Hello'.  


'What are you doing here?'

  
Delphine smiled confidently. 'I was hoping I could take you out to dinner'.

 

* * *

 

 

The actresses sat in the same little Italian restaurant they had visited so many times during Delphine's stay in Los Angeles. Same paintings on the walls, same waiters that gazed at them in starstruck awe, same crimson candles that smelled like berries and bathed their faces in orange glow.

  
Cosima sipped at her wine, pretending to study the menu, while her eyes constantly flickered up. She couldn't stop staring at Delphine; she felt like she was in a cruel dream that she would wake from, cold and alone in her empty bed, reaching out for the warmth of the other woman who was no longer there.

  
But she was here. Cosima couldn't understand why, but it didn't matter. _She was here._

The actresses ordered their meals, and Delphine took her glass of wine, swirling it around in a whirlpool of dark red.

  
'So, are you gonna tell me why you're really here?' Cosima broke the silence, her curiosity taking control.

  
Delphine looked up and set down her wine glass.

  
'Yes, I suppose I should'. She paused, as if working up the courage to continue, then a smile spread across her face. It was cool, but reserved, as if she was playing down something huge, making it less of a big deal.

  
'I'm moving to LA. Well, Pasadena, actually'.

  
Cosima's eyes widened. Had she heard her right?

  
'What? Wh- how? What about your job in Paris?'

  
'I quit'.

'You quit? Are you crazy? Why would you do that?'

  
Delphine tried to hide her smile, finding amusement in Cosima's outburst.

  
'Well, I actually have an opportunity that will require me to move here'.

  
'Okay', Cosima said. 'Well, what is it?'

  
Delphine shrugged. 'I got into Caltech'.

  
Cosima was speechless, bombarded with one surprise after the other.

  
'You got into Caltech? What - why? What are you -' a grin broke across Cosima's face as the realisation hit her. 'You're gonna get your PhD!'

  
'Yes!' Delphine clapped her hands excitedly, elation breaking through her cool facade.

  
'That's totally incredible! Congratulations!' Cosima asked.

  
'Merci, Cosima! I took a leap of faith, and I didn't know if it would pay off. I saw Paul in Paris, and he made me see that I was being an idiot. So I dropped out of the film, I told my manager that I was quitting and I applied to Caltech'.

  
Cosima shook her head in admiration.

  
'That is seriously awesome, Delphine. I'm happy everything has worked out for you'.

  
Delphine paused for a moment.

  
'Well, there is that, of course. But I didn't have to go to Caltech. Yes, it is an excellent school, but there are many other places I could have applied to'.

  
Delphine put a hand on top of Cosima's, feeling the cool metal of her rings against her own fingers.

  
'No, I wanted to come to California because there is this incredible woman I met a few months ago, and she completely changed my life. And since I returned to France, I thought about her every minute of every day. I wasn't happy without her. I am incomplete without her. And I am hoping that maybe she will take me back, because I love her with all my heart, and I hope she feels the same way about me'.

  
Delphine watched as Cosima's eyes filled with tears, which the brunette tried to wipe away in embarrassment.

  
'Damn, Delphine. Well, I guess I have no choice but to take you back now', Cosima joked, her voice shaky with tears, but without lacking it's usual charisma. 'And yes. I do feel the same'.

 

* * *

 

 

Back in her apartment, Cosima felt she was exactly where she belonged; in Delphine's arms, cotton bed sheets cool against their skin, clear night air creeping through the window. Now that her bed was empty no more, the American forgot the tears she had spilt across the pillow and the sobs that filled the lonely silence of her room, because now the blonde was here again, it felt as though she had been there all along.

  
Delphine explained the story of her encounter with Paul to a surprised and curious Cosima, while the American told stories of her empty days and sleepless nights.

  
'Okay, this is totally embarrassing', she began, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. 'When you left, I kind of just moped around, feeling sorry for myself, never leaving my apartment. Felix thought I'd gone into hibernation. I was pretty miserable'.

  
Delphine looked down, eyes full of dismay and self-loathing, hand resting on Cosima's.

'Oh, Cosima, I'm so sorry. You know I would never want you to feel that way. I honestly did not think that going back to France would affect you like that'.

  
Cosima smiled. 'I guess I love you more than you know'.

  
Delphine smiled then, looking up into Cosima's eyes, all traces of crushing guilt leaving her expression.

  
'And I love you, Cosima. More than anything. I'm back for good. I mean that'.

  
'Well, that's good, 'cause if you ever leave me again, my sisters and Felix are gonna kick your ass', Cosima joked, reaching over to switch out the light.

  
'I will never leave you', Delphine whispered into the darkness, squeezing Cosima's hand, and then silence consumed the room as the women fell asleep in each other's arms.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love you've been showing for this story, and for all the wonderful comments. You made me smile so much.  
> As you know, I wrote this story a long time ago, which is why I've been updating so regularly. I wanted to get every chapter up before the season finale.  
> But this isn't the last you'll hear from me! I promise my quality of writing has improved in the years since I wrote this, so if you're interested in reading more from me, please do stick around.   
> I'll be back very soon with a new Cophine AU, and I'll be uploading my second multi-chapter fic, Ten Years of You, from my fanfiction.net account at some point.  
> See you around, Clone Club!

_2 years, 5 months, 3 weeks  
Present day_

Cosima barely recognises her sister.

  
Sarah's smoky black eye make-up is gone, and her usually messy brown hair is styled in neat curls, framed by a long white veil with a delicate lace pattern that falls down her back like a waterfall. All traces of her rebellious, punk-rock attitude are hidden by a radiant smile that doesn't leave her face as she walks gracefully down the aisle to meet Cal at the end. Cosima thinks that maybe even Sarah wanted to feel like a princess on her wedding day.

  
Next to Cosima is Alison, eyes brimming with tears of pride, hands clasped together, like a mother who's child had won first prize, and then Helena, with a shy expression and the hint of a smile playing across her lips. The three sisters wear long navy-blue strapless gowns, holding small bouquets of delicate white roses. Each woman's hair is twisted into an elegant French braid that falls over one shoulder (like Elsa's from 'Frozen', Kira had told them earlier). They look more similar than ever. Cal's family gape in amazement at the sisters.

  
Cosima wonders why Sarah has taken this long to marry Cal. After all, she'd loved him since the day she left him, all those years ago, before Kira was born. They said they weren't the marrying type, yet here they were. Things change, Sarah had said.

  
Cosima once thought she was not the marrying type. But now, she looks over at Delphine sitting in the third row, with Felix and Katja, talking and laughing with them. She wears a pale blue evening dress and black velvet heels. Her hair has grown longer, and now falls in soft golden waves almost all the way down her back. A silver diamond engagement ring sparkles on her finger.

  
Cosima smiles at the sight. Maybe once she was not the marrying type, but back then she had never met Delphine.

 

* * *

 

 

The reception is held in the function room of a bar in the family's hometown, which is maybe a little too small for all the wedding guests. The place has the look and feel of an old English pub; dimly lit, wooden tables and chairs, flowers spilling out of plantpots on the ouside window ledge. Cosima smirks. This place is so Sarah.

Cosima and Delphine stand awkwardly around the main table, clutching champagne flutes. Guests around them socialise, but people stare, starstruck, at them, too intimidated to start a conversation. In this little Toronto suburb, they feel so far away from home.

  
Across the way, Alison and Donnie throw their heads back in laughter as they gossip with strangers. Alison loves to make a scene in a social event, as if she has to prove how friendly and approachable she is. Helena follows Sarah around like a lost sheep.

  
The women give up and sit down at the main table, deciding socialisation just isn't their thing right now. Spotting them across the crowd, Felix comes skipping across the room, waving around a glossy magazine like a trophy he had just won.

  
'Look what I've found!' he exclaims excitedly.

  
Cosima groans. 'You brought it _here_?'

  
'Of course, and I've shown it to half the guests already', Felix says brightly.

  
He drags a chair over, making an ugly scraping sound against the worn wooden floor, and sits down, laying out the magazine on the table.

  
It is the new issue of _Nylon_ , and on the cover is a photograph of Delphine and Cosima, mid-laugh, wearing bright t-shirts and blue jeans against a simple white background. Delphine's long golden hair flows down her back. Cosima's smile is bright and her nails are painted in different colours. It's a picture that represents them, the women are pleased to find.

  
The prospect of being on the cover of a magazine and giving a totally honest and open interview had scared Delphine at first, but she soon found that with Cosima by her side, it wasn't frightening at all, and for once she had been excited by the whole idea.

  
Katja hurries over to meet them, jaw dropping when she sees the magazine.

  
'Aw, my super famous best friends!' she shrieks, clapping her hands together in delight. Delphine and Cosima look at each other and laugh, embarrassed by the attention, but admittedly pleased with the cover and their friends' approval.

  
'Read it!' Katja orders Felix, taking a seat at the table and leaning towards him like an excited child waiting for a bedtime story.

  
'Ok, here goes', he flips through the magazine until he finds the right page.

_Partners In Crime_

_Nylon's Rachel Duncan meets actress Cosima Niehaus, who's making her directorial debut this summer in 'San Francisco', which stars her fiancée, Delphine Cormier, in her one-time return to acting._

_RD: Well ladies, thank you so much for meeting with us today!_

_CN: Thanks for having us, we're excited to be here!_

_RD: Cosima, the movie you have written and directed hits theatres next month. Are you nervous or excited, or both?_

'Urgh, boring!' Katja complains. 'Skip to the good stuff!'

  
Felix continues half way down the page.

_RD: So, you've kept your relationship under wraps over the past few years ._

_CN: We don't like to be in the public eye so much. I wanna be recognised for my work, and I understand that sometimes my career leads me to be in the spotlight, and that's okay. But our relationship is for us only. Besides, Delphine left that life behind a long time ago._

_RD: And with good reason! You're studying for your PhD, right, Delphine?_

_DC: Yes, in immunology. I still have a couple more years of studying, but I am enjoying every moment. I hope to become a professor one day. I am very passionate about learning and I hope to share that with others in the future._

_CN: She's super smart._

_RD: Why did you choose to be a part of Cosima's movie?_

_DC: I always told Cosima I would go back to acting if I got the right role._

_CN: So I wrote one for her._

_DC: Of course, my PhD is my main goal, but it was nice to be a part of that environment again. I felt like there was less pressure and I had more freedom with it. It was like starting out all over again._

_CN: There were a lot of arguments on set! But it's all good. We're really happy with how everything turned out._

_RD: Delphine, your last film was_ Project Leda, _the one you worked on together,. That film was a huge success, and so many people are excited to see you on the screen again. Do you think a permanent return to acting is on the cards, Delphine?_

_DC: I don't think so, but who knows? Maybe in the far-off future._

_RD: And what are your plans for the next few months? You've set a date for your wedding …_

_CN: Yeah, it's just around the corner. I can safely say that wedding planning is the most stressful job I've ever had. It's awesome though. Besides, I've got my neurotic sister as chief wedding planner! Nothing can possibly go wrong under her control._

_DC: And afterwards we're going travelling for a couple of months._

_CN: A very long honeymoon, you could call it. We just wanted to take some time out._

_DC: So we're going to South America and then to Europe._

_CN: Sightseeing, taking stupid tourist pictures … the whole nine yards._

_RD: And then settling into married life._

_CN: Yeah (laughs). We bought a house at the beginning of the year, and we only just finished decorating._

_DC: We've been so busy lately._

_CN: But we're excited to get married. I'm ready to start living a quieter life, away from all the stress of the business. I'm not retiring, I don't intend to stop acting, but there are more important things in my life right now. We want a beautiful home and a big garden …_

_DC: And our families and friends around us._

_CN: And children._

_DC: And a puppy._

_CN: All the normal stuff, I guess._

 

* * *

 

 

The evening wears on. Felix has been parading the bridesmaids around all afternoon like a tour guide. He says it makes him feel important, being involved in the most unusual family around, so he makes sure to take advantage of the attention. He introduces the sisters as Dreadlocks, Blondie and Bangs. Cosima rolls her eyes, but she doesn't mind too much. Anything to make it easier for Cal's bewildered family.

  
Annoyed by this, Sarah runs over, white dress trailing behind her, and grabs her brother's arm.

  
'Oi, Felix, quit marching around like some kind of VIP. My sisters are not some travelling circus. Go and sit down!'

  
'Meow, Sarah', Felix gasps, feigning offence. 'Marriage has turned you so ugly'.

  
'One more word, Fe, and I swear I'll bloody smash your face in'.

  
'Oh no, she's still the same old Sarah', he smirks. He had to cut her some slack. Wedding days were stressful, he supposed.

  
Cosima and Felix leave the sisters to return to Delphine and Katja, who are now talking with Donnie and Jesse.

  
'More wine, anybody?' Felix offers.

  
Delphine shakes her head. 'I can't. I'm driving'.

  
The group turn to gaze through the window in admiration at the sleek red Ferrari parked outside, late afternoon sunlight gleaming off its shining surface. Delphine and Cosima had driven all the way from Pasadena to Toronto, deciding to take a cross-country road-trip instead of flying in for the wedding. They were staying with the Hendrixes for a week while in Canada.

  
The car was an early wedding gift from Delphine's parents. After getting engaged, she decided to reach out to them and try to mend their broken relationship. Cosima had joked that this was the best idea Delphine had ever had.

  
'Wise move, Delphine. Wouldn't wanna crash that beauty', Donnie says with only a hint of jealously as his gaze shifts from the luxurious car to the Hendrix's cluttered old minivan, the car that he had begged Alison to let him get rid of.

  
Felix pours wine into the empty glasses on the table. He chooses not to pour one for himself, though, instead producing a bottle of vodka he has stolen from behind the bar.

  
'Felix!' Cosima exclaims, eyes darting around the room for any sign of the bartender.

  
'What? Last I heard, you were the drinks thief'.

  
'That was one time!'

  
'Cosima, you stole two bottles of wine and then suggested we steal some bikes and go - how do you say it - joyriding?' Delphine interjects.

  
Cosima giggles. 'Well, what can I say? My days of rebellion are over. I have a job. I have a house. I'm getting married. Could I be turning into-' she gasps in mock horror, 'a responsible adult?'

  
'Never, darling', Felix retorts.

  
'Just think, soon we'll be all together again for your wedding', Katja says.

  
'So let me get this straight', Jesse begins, leaning back in his chair, 'you're leaving all the wedding planning to Alison?'

  
'Yep', Cosima grins.

  
'But we have the final say', Delphine explains.

  
'Oh, I doubt that', Donnie says, shaking his head. Not only did he know better than anyone how controlling his wife could be, but he had to witness her intense organising of the wedding every day.

  
'Yikes'.

  
'Guys, stop, you're making me nervous', Cosima complains.

  
'Don't worry, it's gonna be an awesome wedding', Jesse says reassuringly.

  
'Damn right it will be'. Cosima high-fives Delphine.

 

* * *

 

 

'So now your parents are married, do you think you'll get a brother or sister?' Cosima asks her niece, who sits on Delphine's lap. They sit in a booth, with Gemma and Oscar in the opposite seat.

  
'Maybe', Kira says, cautiously optimistic. She had been wanting a sibling for years now, and finally her wish had a chance of coming true.

  
'Well what about when Aunt Delphine and I have a baby? You'll have a new cousin', Cosima says.

  
'When will that be then?' Oscar asks.

  
'I don't know, maybe in a couple of years', Delphine replies, shooting Cosima a smile that makes the brunette's heart skip a beat.

  
'A couple of years!' Gemma repeats in horror.

  
'We can babysit!' Kira giggles, which is followed by cheers and giggles from the Hendrix kids. Cosima and Delphine look at each other in alarm.

  
'Gemma! Oscar!' Alison barks from across the room, beckoning them over.

  
The Hendrix kids reluctantly slide out of the booth, saying goodbye to their Aunts, and run off to join their parents.

  
'Your hair is so pretty, Aunt Delphine', Kira admires as she takes a strand of gold in her hand and begins to braid it.

  
'Merci, Kira', she smiles.

  
Cosima clears her throat loudly. 'And what about my hair?'

  
Kira smiles cheekily. 'C'est horrible!' she jokes, putting on her best French accent, then runs off to join Gemma, who is waving her over from across the room.

Delphine bursts out laughing, while Cosima's mouth hangs open in shock.

  
'You're putting me to shame, Cormier!'

  
Delphine scoots further towards her fiancée and slides an arm around her waist. 'Tu es pour moi la plus belle'.

  
'And what does that mean?' Cosima asks.

Cosima still only knew the very basics when it came to the French language. And because of this, whenever they argued, Delphine, in all her anger, yelled at Cosima in French, then had to repeat everything in English, much to her annoyance and Cosima's amusement.

  
'To me, you are the most beautiful'.

  
'Aww', Cosima smiles happily and plants a kiss on Delphine's cheek.

  
'What's up, ladies', Felix slides into the seat across the table, now obviously drunk and speaking very loudly.

  
'I'm never letting Delphine teach the kids French again. Kira just told me my hair was horrible', Cosima chuckles.

She hears Alison scolding her across the room, telling her to go apologise to her aunt. ‘I was just _kidding_ , Aunt Cosima _knows_ I was kidding’, Kira whines in self-defence.

  
Delphine tutoring Kira, Gemma and Oscar had been Alison's idea. Alison now regretted it every time she argued with the kids, and they whispered to each other in French and burst out laughing.

  
'Ah, insulting people from a young age. Just like her mother then!' Felix muses, remembering his childhood with Sarah.

  
'And that means you can't teach our kids French either. I don't want my whole family running around talking in your little secret language', Cosima tells Delphine.

  
'Well, actually, French is spoken by two hundred million people, so it's not exactly a secret-'

  
'Cosima, we should go to French classes!' Felix slurs, grabbing Cosima's hand across the table, grinning excitedly. 'It'll be sooo fun! And I bet there'll be loads of cute smart guys there'.

  
Cosima sighs, taking her hand away from Felix's. _Would he ever grow up?_

  
'No, Felix, we are not going to French classes'.

  
'Delphine, you should teach me! And then I could go to Paris and see if your rich parents will buy _me_ a Ferrari!' Felix claps his hands together at the thought.

  
'Felix!' Cosima snaps. Delphine laughs.

  
'Oui, I will teach you, Felix. And that offer still stands with Cosima …' Delphine looks over at the brunette.

  
'Fine, if this guy's gonna learn French, I guess I should as well. Good job I have some time off after our honeymoon, huh?'

  
Cosima's phone pings in her bag, and she opens checks it to find a picture from Tony. It's a photo of him, Scott and large group of people standing in front of a rickshaw bike. Tony grins stupidly.

  
He’s shooting a documentary in India with Scott and a group of indie filmmakers. Cosima hasn't seen Tony in a year and a half. But she still vividly remembers their last conversation.

_'Tony', Cosima called. He turned back to face her._

  
_'Before you go, I just want to say thank you. For everything'._

  
_'Cosima, it has been my pleasure'._

  
_The brunette smirked. 'You knew, didn't you? All along. You knew I'd fall in love with her'._

  
_'Busted', Tony chuckled. 'When I first met her, we spoke for hours. We got a little drunk, and she asked me 'Tony, do you believe in soulmates?' I asked her why, and she said that she was still looking for hers. And the funny thing was that I was pretty sure I'd met her soulmate. It was crazy. I knew you’d fall in love with her, she’s everything you’d ever dreamed of. But I was almost certain she’d fall for you too. You were looking for each other. I could tell’._

  
_Cosima laughed. 'What would I do without you, Tony'._

  
_'Call me Cupid'._

  
_'I'll miss you'._

  
_'I'll miss you too, Cos. Good luck with everything'._

  
_Cosima nestled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her._

Cosima shows the picture to Felix and Delphine.

  
'Maybe we will go to visit him in India', Delphine says, admiring the picture and the it's beautiful backdrop. 'It looks wonderful'.

  
'We can definitely take a detour on our travels', Cosima agrees.

  
Felix gasps in excitement. 'Let's all go on a roadtrip!' he cries.

  
Cosima rolls her eyes but she can't help but giggle at her friend's drunken excitement.

  
'Count us out. I am never going on vacation with you again. Remember that time we went camping with Sarah and Katja?'

  
Delphine looks confused, and curiousity flashes through her eyes.

  
'I don't think I have heard this story before!'

 

* * *

 

 

Everyone is seated, all eyes focusing on the main table, where the family sits; Helena, Jesse, Katja, Felix, Sarah, Cal, Alison, Donnie, Delphine and Cosima. Though they are not all related, and she has known her sisters for less than a decade, they are the best family Cosima could ever ask for.

  
The room is quiet except for the voices of those who were giving speeches. There is Cal, and Sarah, who thank everyone for their presence, but most of all, they thank each other and their wonderful daughter; there is Jesse, the best man, who tells stories of his friendship with Cal, which mostly involve the whole family and the ups and downs of being a part of it; there is Cosima, Felix, Cal's father, and finally, there is Alison, who begins with a brief summary of her life since Sarah entered the picture; a story of arguments, humiliation, and mishaps which has the room roaring with laughter. She ends with this:

  
'Now we've all had a wonderful day - though it might have been even better if Sarah had allowed me to plan the wedding …'

  
'I don't think so, Hendrix!' Sarah shouts, and the quiet of the room gives way to laughter.

  
'Anyway, aside from all our bickering, my life has become infinitely better since you came into it, Sarah, and you too, Helena and Cosima. Though ten years ago we didn't even know each other, I feel like we have known each other our whole lives, and I am so blessed to have you as my sisters. Our big, crazy family means everything to me, and Cal, though you've been a part of all our lives for years already, I'm thrilled to officially welcome you to our family. I love you guys with all my heart, and I look forward to many happy memories to come'.

  
Alison raises her glass, and the rest of the room copy her, a sea of champagne flutes held up high into the air.

  
'To the future, and all the excitement it brings!'

Cosima and Delphine smile at each other knowingly. The future is bright.

 


End file.
